How Uncertainty Unlocks Doors?

When facing doubt and uncertainty, our brains are wired to let emotions take over. Our brains are hardwired to make much of modern life difficult. This is especially true when it comes to dealing with uncertainty. On the bright side, if we know the right tricks, we can override our brain’s irrational tendencies and handle uncertainty effectively. Our brains give us fits when facing uncertainty because they’re wired to react to it with fear. In a recent study, a Caltech neuroeconomist imaged subjects’ brains as they were forced to make increasingly uncertain bets-the same kind of bets we’re forced to make on a regular basis in business.

As we face uncertainty, our brains push us to overreact. Successful people are able to override this mechanism and shift their thinking in a rational direction. This needs emotional intelligence (EQ), and it’s no wonder that-among the 1 million-plus people that Talent Smart has tested 90% of top performers have high EQs. To boost our EQ, we have to get good at making sound decisions in the face of uncertainty, even when our brain fights against this.

There are proven strategies that you can use to improve the quality of our decisions when emotions are high and clouding our judgment. What follows are five of the best strategies that successful people use in these moments.

1. Quiet Limbic Systems

Our limbic system responds to uncertainty with a knee-jerk fear reaction, and fear inhibits good decision-making. People who are good at dealing with uncertainty are wary of this fear and spot it as soon as it begins to surface. In this way, they can contain it before it gets out of control. Once they are aware of the fear, they label all the irrational thoughts that try to intensify it as irrational fears — not reality and the fear subsides.

With this, we can focus more accurately and rationally on the information they have to go on. Throughout the process, they remind themselves that a primitive part of the brain is trying to take over and that the logical part needs to be the one in charge. In other words, our limbic system needs to be told to settle down and be quiet until a hungry tiger shows up.

2. Stay Positive

Positive thoughts quiet fear and irrational thinking by focusing our brain’s attention on something that is completely stress-free. We have to give our wandering brain a little help by consciously selecting something positive to think about. Any positive thought will do to refocus our attention. When things are going well and our mood is good, this is relatively easy. When we’re stressing over a tough decision and our mind is flooded with negative thoughts, this can be a challenge.

In these moments, think about the day, and identify one positive thing that happened, no matter how small. If we can’t think of anything from the current day, reflect on the previous day or days or even the previous week, or perhaps we’re looking forward to an exciting event. The point here is that we must have something positive that we’re ready to shift our attention to when our thoughts turn negative due to the stress of uncertainty.

3. Embrace the Controllable

We all like to be in total control when it comes to living a fulfilling life. After all, those of us who feel like they’re at the mercy of their circumstances never get anywhere in life. But this desire for control can backfire when we see everything that we can’t control or don’t know as a personal failure. People who excel at managing uncertainty aren’t afraid to acknowledge what’s causing it. In other words, successful people live in the ‘REAL’ world.

They don’t paint any rosy or bleak picture or worse than it actually is, and they analyse the facts for what they are. They know that the only thing they really control is the process through which they reach their decisions. That’s the only rational way to handle the unknown, and the best way to keep our head on level ground. Don’t be afraid to step up and say: “Here’s what we don’t know, but we’re going forward based on what we do know. We may make mistakes, but that’s a lot better than standing still.”

4. Focus on REAL Things

Some decisions really make or break our lives and at our organisations. Learn to focus on the big ticket items only. Such decisions are required to be taken carefully and cautiously. Rest isn’t that important. People who are the best at making decisions in the face of uncertainty don’t waste their time getting stuck on decisions where the biggest risk is looking foolish in front of their co-workers or friend and family (wherever applicable).

When it comes down to it, almost every decision contains at least a small factor of uncertainty — it’s an inevitable part of every decision that we take. Learning to balance out many decisions seeking our attention, however, allows us to focus our energy on the things that matter and to make more informed choices. It also removes the unnecessary pressure and distraction caused by a flurry of small worries.

5. Failure Doesn’t Stop Us to Breathe

In the face of uncertainty, we must stay calm to make good decisions. An easy way to do this lies in something that we have to do every day anyway: breathing. The practice of being in the moment with our breathing trains our brain to focus solely on the task at hand and quiets distracting thoughts. When we’re feeling overwhelmed, take a couple of minutes to focus on our breathing pattern.

We’re all different in how much uncertainty we can tolerate in life. Some people seem to enjoy taking risks and living unpredictable lives, while others find the randomness of life deeply distressing. But all of us have a limit. If we feel overwhelmed by uncertainty and worry, it’s important to know that we’re not alone; many of us are in the same boat. It’s also important to realise that no matter how helpless and hopeless we feel, there are steps (discussed above) one can take to better deal with uncontrollable circumstances, alleviate our anxiety, and face the unknown with more confidence.

Summing It Up

Precisely, uncertainty is all around us, never more so than today. Whether it concerns the economy, finances, health, and relationships, much of what lies ahead in life remains uncertain. Yet as human beings, we crave security. We want to feel safe and have a sense of control over our lives and well-being. Fear and uncertainty can leave our feeling stressed, anxious, and powerless over the direction of our lives.

To conclude, in a world that craves innovation and pushes the boundaries of what is possible, embracing uncertainty becomes a key ingredient to achieving one’s biggest goals. It is through recognizing potential, setting ambitious targets, and conquering fear that individuals can unlock extraordinary results.

About the Author

Muhammad Sajwani is a C-Level HR, Transformation Leader, Board Advisor, Business Coach & Organisational Consultant working in the capacity of Managing Director, Evolve HR. He is an author, columnist and a contributor who besides writing for other platforms also regularly writes at BizCatalyst 360. He brings along 30+ years of local & international experience. He is a change catalyst specializing in unleashing the human Dreamgenius through Leadership, Creativity and Change Management. Muhammad has been instrumental in helping organizations come to terms with organizational changes like right-sizing and business process re-engineering. His innovative approach & high personal competence encourages people to not only accept change, but also to excel in it. Muhammad has diverse experience in conducting strategic & management development programs, conferences & events for organizations across sectors.