The mindset that keeps me centered in timesof uncertainty
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about uncertainty.
It’s impossible to predict the future even in the best of times, but this moment we’re living through right now feels especially uncertain. I’ve been hearing a lot about how economic challenges, rapidly evolving technology, and organizational restructures are affecting the leaders and teams I work with.
When things feel uncertain, it’s normal to feel more anxious and unsure, and it can be harder to show up as the person and leader you want to be. In case this resonates with you, I thought it might be helpful for me to share how I work through these feelings when I have them and shift my mindset to help me stay grounded.
I’ve learned that the key to dealing with uncertainty is to turn my focus inward. After all, the only thing we can really control is ourselves, so that’s always where I start.
To help me do that, I ask myself three questions:
What have I been through before?
When we’re caught up in the pressure and anxiety of the moment, it can be easy to forget about all the times before when we faced something challenging. Maybe you’ve never experienced the exact set of circumstances you find yourself in, but you’ve probably been through something difficult before. And not only did you get through that experience, but I’ll bet you learned something powerful from it, too.
When I’m really struggling, I make a list of the major challenges and setbacks I’ve faced in my life so far and what each of them has taught me. It’s a simple exercise that reminds me that I’ve made it through hard things before, and I have the inner resilience to do it again.
You might’ve seen me share about this exercise before: I call it the Resilience Resume. I usually bring it up when I’m sharing ways to work through failure. When you're trying to convince yourself to take another step after a setback, writing down all the times you’ve bounced back from missteps in the past helps you shift your mindset to what you are capable of so that you can get back up again. When you’re feeling uncertain, think about all the times you’ve weathered uncertainty before and focus on the fact that you got through 100% of those experiences. Remembering this builds your self-trust and helps you realize that you can get through this moment, just like you've gotten through all the moments before it.
What can I control?
The answer to this question is almost always the same: There’s very little about your external circumstances that’s fully in your control, but internally, it’s a different story. You can always control your mindset, how you treat yourself, and how you treat other people. When I’m feeling uncertain, I double down on the amount of energy, time, and focus I put into these things, and it helps so much.
One thing that I think about in particular is my “energy account.” It’s a concept that helps you think about how you spend your energy and what you can do to restore it when it’s lost. There are two aspects to the energy account: things that add to it and help you feel at your best (deposits) and things that take from it and deplete you (withdrawals).
In times of stress and anxiety, I'm extra mindful of making regular deposits into my energy account. I make sure I have time for the habits that help me feel at my best, like starting my day with exercise, spending time with friends and family, journaling, and going for a walk at the end of the day. I'm also mindful of my withdrawals, or “energy zappers.” The thing about going through uncertainty is that it zaps a lot of emotional energy. If you’re not mindful, it can totally deplete your energy account so that you have nothing left to give yourself or others. It may not be possible to turn off the stress and emotions that come with uncertainty, but you can do things to minimize their impact. For example, if I know I have a day of back-to-back-to-back meetings, I prioritize my energy deposits whenever possible. I get my movement in early, or I take a true lunch break, or I call a friend after work to recoup some of the energy I lost. When you focus on doing what you can to stay at your best within yourself, you stay grounded in who you are, and you show up better.
What could go right?
This is my favorite question to ask myself because it always inspires a mindset shift.
We’re naturally programmed to anticipate all of the things that could go wrong when we're sitting in uncertainty, but we forget that things are just as likely to go right. I like to take a more balanced approach. I tell myself that if I'm going to allow my brain to think about all the things that could be terrible, I'm also going to imagine that things could turn out amazing and wonderful.
What I often find is that the things I worry about going wrong don't fully happen—and the things I hope will go right don’t fully happen, either. Other times, the best does happen, and it’s amazing beyond my wildest hopes. It always reminds me that there’s no sense in thinking only about the worst-case scenario. It’s much more productive to remind yourself that many outcomes are possible. It’s human to think about the negative ones, but the positive ones matter just as much.
Asking myself these questions always helps me re-ground myself when so much feels out of my control. What do you think? Do you have any tips for navigating uncertainty and shifting your mindset? My team and I would love to know! Hit “reply” and tell us all about it. We love reading your responses. They are one of the highlights of our week!
Big hugs,
