Moving Forward into the Unknown

“Every great move forward in your life begins with a leap of faith, a step into the unknown.” — Brian Tracy

I have found I don't do well with uncertainty. I've come to expect certainty in my life that makes it comfortable: I have coffee every day, I work specific hours each week, and I get paid twice a month, etc. This certainty provides consistency and we humans love consistency. So the solution is to avoid uncertainty and the unknown at all costs, right?

Merriam-Webster define uncertainty as: falling short of certainty to an almost complete lack of conviction or knowledge especially about an outcome or result.

Over this last year, many of us have come to live this definition. We've had events in life or choices to make where the outcome was not known. What was previously certain and known is now uncertain and unknown. I know it has for me. Yet, I have started asking myself: can we learn to be comfortable with the unknown, comfortable with uncertainty?

Yes we can! The same formula for choosing growth works for moving through uncertainty:

Recognize. Acknowledge. Take the next step.

When life situations emerge with uncertain outcomes and that sense of dread arises, we recognize the feeling, acknowledge its there, and still move forward into the unknown.

Guess what happens? As we move in the direction of being comfortable with the unknown, negative events in life won't have as big of an impact:

• We recognize we can't control the un-controllables.
• We feel more at peace.
• We feel more comfortable with uncertainty.
• We take ownership and take the next step into the unknown.

How are you moving forward into the unknown? Let me know in the comments and follow me for more essays!