Why uncertainty is important and how to deal with it.

It’s a bit of a weird time in my life. There’s a lot of change and there is no clear path.
My girlfriend and I have made a pretty big decision, we have no idea how it will turn out and what we will come back to. I don’t have a job currently and don’t have a permanent place to stay. I’m effectively a traveller but in the country I live in.
For now and for the next few months, the objective is to save up more money, get a business venture to a place where it’s generating consistent income, and sell the van.
I’m applying for jobs, doing interviews, and working on Wild Minds Community. I have no idea how any of these things will go. I don’t know where I’m going to be based the next weekend, I’m living on a week-to-week basis.
How exciting!
Three years ago the idea of that would have made me throw up. I’m the type of person who gets far too comfortable in routine. It’s addicting to make predictable progress in a pursuit. There is a place for that. But often the most life-changing moments, ideas, and decisions come as a complete surprise.
This is not for people who have trouble sticking to a routine and never progress in any one direction, that’s a separate issue. It’s for people who enjoy the comfort and predictability of routine a little too much.
In my daily indulgence in the algorithm, I came across a video that really resonated with me. What caught my attention was the idea that the people who need the most security and certainty, do not live very comfortable lives. He wasn’t talking about comfort in the material sense, but rather the spiritual sense. How calm is your mind?
People who have their whole lives planned out, with a solid routine to follow, knowing exactly what’s coming, are not very spiritually comfortable. Unless everything goes exactly according to plan – so rarely, they’re very uncomfortable. Either they never learn anything new, because they already know exactly where they are going to be, or they get upset because something didn’t go to plan. This was me. If something dared to interrupt my routine, it felt like my day was ruined. This is a very fragile way to go about life.
The best things in my life have come after periods of uncertainty. In his book, Becoming Supernatural, Dr Joe Dispenza talks about the importance of existing comfortably in the unknown and how this creates the space for the things that are truly meant for you to enter your life. The reason being, rather than avoiding uncertainty by thinking about the past or the future, you bring your attention to the present moment. Where you place your attention is where you place your energy. By bringing your energy to the present moment, you’re in the best position to create the life you want. You can check out his book for a deeper explanation about how this can help you create the reality you want.
Important questions to ask:
- In what ways is my routine holding me back?
- How can I break my routine to have a deeper life long term?
- How can I create space for novelty in my routine?
- How predictable is my current lifestyle?
There was a point in my life where I would have found this far too hippie dippy. But as I’ve learned more and more, through both reading and experience, I’ve realised the importance of creating space in your life for the unknown.
This is not to discount the value of consistency and routine. I LOVE consistency and routine.But there is an element of safety and comfort in that. I do think it’s important to force yourself out of it from time to time.
While that sounds pretty far out, I’ve realised upon reflection that the best periods in my life have been the result of dealing with a certain amount of uncertainty. Before I bought Victor (my van) I had 2 months of limbo, not knowing whether or not I would find one that I was able to afford and met all my needs, where I didn’t have a permanent place to stay. If I had been less tolerant of uncertainty, I would have given up and fallen back on the more secure option of renting a place. I would have missed out on A LOT.
After getting made redundant, while fun at first, soon an overwhelming sense of uncertainty and insecurity crept in. The fear that comes with not knowing what I would work on next, not knowing what my life would look like in 3 or 4 months, not knowing whether I’d be able to keep living in the van. It’s scary living off savings and watching your bank account slowly tick down. If I had been less tolerant of uncertainty, I would have scrambled for another job, one that most likely would not allowed me to be so flexible and free for the next 4 months. And yet again, I would have missed out on A LOT. My life has been so much richer than it would have been, just because I tolerated a bit of uncertainty and kept moving forward.
There is a balance to be struck between security and freedom, risk and reward. So if you want reward, you’ll just have to accept that there might be some risk involved.
“The quality of your life is determined by the amount of uncertainty you can comfortably live with.”
Tony Robbins
One of the great freedoms is being able to deal with uncertainty. Once you accept this, uncertainty begins to feel exciting.