- claremayell
Getting Comfortable with Uncertainty
How does uncertainty make you feel? Comfortable, uncomfortable, somewhere in between?
Like me, you probably have work and personal goals for the long term. We're told that these types of goals should be defined and clear. Achievable and realistic. Connected to core values. They will give us focus and energy. They will drive us forwards.
Mine are all these things and I am absolutely determined to meet them. Despite this, sometimes, momentarily, I feel scared and a bit overwhelmed about what I’m doing. It’s a fleeting feeling
Maybe it’s the same for you?
I’m told it’s pretty normal when you’re chasing and pushing to achieve. For me, it goes something like this: Is this going to work? Can I do this? Am I being ridiculous? Will the clients build? Will I get there?
Just as fleetingly as my scariness arrives, it goes away. The fear dissipates and I get back to my day. Powering on through the planned actions. I’m back to being confident and certain about driving Projects that Deliver forwards.
It was with this in mind, I found myself hooked into reading an article with this sentence in:
'Not only are our long-term goals psychologically taxing to think about, but they’re also scary.'
‘Sounds about right to me!’ I thought.
Getting comfortable with uncertainty
The author, Jory MacKay, comments:
'Being comfortable with feeling uncomfortable is the secret to hitting your long-term goals. But it’s not easy. '
He adds that to keep working towards your goal, you need to recognize that you won’t have all the answers up front and that your first effort probably won’t be great. Good advice - right?
Not knowing the outcome means you’re not tied to a specific outcome. And that turns uncertainly into exciting.
And how am I going to minimise my scary moments?
I’m taking Jory’s advice. The uncertainty that occasionally bothers me will be reframed as excitement.
That makes total sense to me. In reality, there’s nothing to be scared of and lots to be excited about. Particularly for Projects that Deliver!
If you have fleeting moments feeling overwhelmed, a little bit scared to change your way of working or simply not sure how to start on defining your processes.
We might be able to help you. Book in an initial session or call us on 020 3286 2866, we love to chat about processes and projects. We're very friendly!
Not ready to take a next step – maybe our complexity quiz will help you?