5 ways to overcome uncertainty

Uncertainty in life can happen to anyone which can be stressful to deal with as it can pull in fear. The fear can come from our own past experiences or from what we hear from friends or even the television. When uncertainty happens and negative emotions start it can feel like life is heading into a brick wall.

Our minds in the distant past didn’t have so many things to be uncertain about apart from find food, find shelter from weather and avoid wild animals. Yes each are big decisions but they didn’t have the extras of todays life like: sorting taxes, getting kids to various activities, job insecurity, mortgage, mental or physical health for self or family, etc and all the things you can add to the list. It’s no wonder we are filled with uncertainty.

Taking the next step can take courage and some people find talking it through with a friend or a professional really helpful. We can tell ourself ‘You can do this’ however how often do we really listen to our own advice.

Here are 5 ways to overcome uncertainty:

1. Be brave which is easier said than done; take a step towards your goal rather than listening to the negative reasoning in your mind.

2. Realise that everyone does feel uncertain at times and a good idea is to keep trying. Successful people also face uncertainty but they keep going despite failing at times.

3. Uncertainty doesn’t always equal risk so when trying something new do a pro and con list.

4. Uncertainty can be viewed differently by people; some in terms of percentage (90% possible), others by historical notions (in the past I’ve experienced…), or research by reading books or searching on the internet (the abundance of possibilities can invite procrastination in taking action). Find a way forward that suits your personality.

5. Planning is a good way in overcoming uncertainty, yes a plan for how to achieve their goal but also a plan for what to do when problems occur.