This is a repost of a piece I published in November, 2020. Given all the uncertainty swirling around so many of us at this time, it seemed to offer some helpful tools to stay grounded during what feels like a hurricane of change. I hope you find it useful. Please leave your suggestions on planning for an uncertain future in the comments below.
How to Reduce Resistance to Change
Every day, it seems like the taken-for-granted foundations of our lives are crumbling. Sometimes, it’s a sad loss and other times it’s an opportunity for a fresh start. But the initial reaction to this persistent uncertainty—threat, fear, resistance—is pretty much a given.
The human brain strives to maximize certainty and predictability as a central driver of behavior. In the presence of ambiguity, people fill in knowledge gaps with fear. Even the smallest change can be experienced as a threat and activate the flight or flight response.
How to Plan for an Uncertain Future
I have a confession to make. Last week, I lost patience with the stream of well-meaning and useful advice that appears digitally every single day. I was discouraged and dispirited. I really had no energy for another how-to.
The next day, feeling somewhat more grounded, I recognized the source of my discouragement: There’s no end in sight. Nothing to look forward to. It feels like we can’t influence or control anything. There’s an ongoing sense of uncertainty and a feeling of helplessness about how to influence our futures.