“There is no certainty; there is only adventure.” Roberto Assagioli.

Have you heard the expression “May you live in interesting times?” This came into my mind last week, when I reflected on the type of week experienced by the UK’S Prime Minister, Theresa May. This was dominated by her involvement in negotiations regarding the UK’s departure from the European Union.

Early in the week, she pulled a key parliamentary vote because she felt she was going to lose. The vote had been arranged to ratify the provisional agreement she has struck with the European Union regarding the UK’s withdrawal. She then faced much hostility when answering questions in parliament.

She visited various European cities hoping to negotiate concessions/amendments to the agreement she had provisionally agreed. She wanted to get assurances about various elements of the deal before seeking UK parliamentary approval.

Mrs May faced a no confidence vote by MPs from her own party which she won. Following this she attended a two day council of European Leaders where she sought further concessions. She came away without much clarity and no agreement about the way forward. After all of this activity I concluded that we are indeed living in interesting times.

It’s now just 102 days until the UK leaves the European Union. Despite over two years of negotiations and Mrs May’s interesting week, there is no clarity or certainty about the way forward. There’s no clear understanding of what the UK’s departure means in practical and tangible terms and it’s making people anxious.

Individuals and businesses across the UK and Europe who trade with each other have lots of uncertainty and anxiety about how things are going to be from March 29. All the events of last week got me thinking about the subject of uncertainty.

Uncertainty and a fear of the unknown are a common source of stress for many people. We don’t like uncertainty and it tends to have a negative impact on our confidence levels. The truth is life is pretty unpredictable most of the time. Whilst we can’t control every last detail of situations, it doesn’t stop us trying to control outcomes!

Many things are outside of our control such as other people’s actions and moods, the weather, the state of the economy, traffic etc. It’s helpful to develop an acceptance of this and not get overly anxious about things that we can’t control.

Sometimes we are forced to face into some fears, step into the unknown and into situations outside of our comfort zone. When we do this we discover inner resources and depths that we didn’t know we had. As a result we grow, develop and increase our sense of worth.

We are creatures of habit and a fear of the unknown can lead us to stay in our comfort zones and stuck in a rut. This explains why some people put up with circumstances that don’t bring them happiness but are known, familiar and predictable. In part this explains why people choose to stay in jobs they detest, put up with unacceptable behaviour from others or in relationships that make them unhappy.

It’s true that uncertainty can be uncomfortable and lead to increased anxiety levels. As humans we like to control our lives and to have a future that is stable and fairly predictable. It’s therefore understandable when we feel insecure and face an uncertain future.

As well as fearing uncertainty, many people waste energy and time complaining about things that they can’t control. Modern living is demanding and it’s important we spend our limited energy and time focused on things that we can control. This includes our beliefs, attitude, mindset, actions and reactions to events.

We can learn from the world of sport and a practice that is used by sports psychologists. They help top athletes and sports people to develop their performance by encouraging them to control the controllables. These are areas like diet, rest periods, fluid intake, exercise regime, pre-event preparation, sleep, thoughts, reaction to external events and visualisation.

A welcome bi-product of focusing on things within our control is that over time it helps us to increase the amount of influence we have in the teams and organisations that we work with/for.

If you follow this approach you will develop a reputation for completing your priorities with a quiet assurance. Not meddling in areas outside of your sphere of responsibility will help build people’s trust and confidence in you.

This week, why not take a few moments to reflect and consider how you can better manage uncertainty. Think about what is currently occupying your mind and decide what you need to take control of and what you need to let go of.

 

To arrange a free no obligation consultation, please contact Stephen Pauley via the contact form or by e mail: Stephen@befirstclass.co.uk