Certainty is Boring
That's what a coaching client told me recently when discussing the stress of recent years and our uncertain future. The future has always been uncertain and always will be—yet we humans crave safety.
Rather than trying to control circumstances and events for certainty and safety, the key question is: How can we develop both an agile mindset and a steadfast presence?
What attitude—hope, faith, or fear—and perspective are you bringing into the new year? Have you mindfully chosen your outlook? Are you clear about what drives you?
THE PAST DOESN'T HAVE TO DETERMINE THE FUTURE
Our past experiences can color our expectations and shape our perspective if we're not mindful. We often carry this past baggage into the future—even when circumstances have changed—leaving us feeling stuck.
Looking back, it's easy to get attached to the stories of what happened, what worked, and what didn't. We explain mistakes and failures through these stories and project the future through that lens.
As a major department store buyer many years ago, I was frustrated by how the corporate structure relied solely on historical statistics to inform purchases. While we need data to understand customer behavior—just as we assess people by their actions—projecting the future based only on past data, without considering current trends and events, misses the point of being truly informed. The present moment, though fleeting, is crucial "data" we often overlook. Like reading the atmosphere when walking into a room, we must tune into the present to face the future with creativity and innovation.
Looking back is essential, of course. We learn from patterns and behaviors that inform our relationship with change and growth. However, we must also challenge our resistance and notice where we get stuck. If we focus too heavily on the past, we overlook how remarkably adaptable and agile humans can be when we feel safe. It's a fascinating paradox.
We cannot fix the past, but we can use it to inform and empower us to change how we engage with the future.
BEGINNER'S MIND
We often get stuck in an all-or-nothing mindset, believing we must be perfect—and if we fail, we might as well give up. This commonly happens by mid-February with our New Year's resolutions. What if we kept our attention on our intention and let that guide how we approach each circumstance along the way?
Rather than abandoning our goals, we can adjust how we reach them by staying aligned with our core intention. Seth Godin calls this your strategy. We typically think of strategy as the means to achieve something rather than recognizing it as our intention to create change. As Seth writes in his new book "This is Strategy. Make Better Plans," today is our best opportunity to improve tomorrow.
Strategy is a philosophy of becoming. Who will we become, who will we be of service to, and who will they help others to become? This is strategy.
The goal isn't perfection—it's to keep going and growing through what we learn when things don't work out rather than playing it safe by doing what we've always done, repeating the past, and remaining stuck in false certainty.
When we face the future with experience, let go of old stories and approach uncertainty with curiosity, we achieve a beginner's mind. This mindset allows us to learn as the future unfolds.
Playing it safe means using old solutions for new challenges. But when we embrace uncertainty, we're not trusting in the future—we're trusting in ourselves. We trust in our ability to figure things out. We use the past as information while recognizing that the present moment is different, we are different, and we've already grown simply by meeting the future as it approaches.
WE DON'T HAVE A CRYSTAL BALL, BUT WE DO HAVE INTUITION.
To tap into your innate intuition, you need a clear mind—one free from attachment to outcomes and past experiences that breed fear about the future. While we can study past trends to predict trajectories, unexpected events can suddenly change everything. In these moments, our protective reactions kick in automatically. Sometimes, this serves us well, especially in genuine danger—like when a deer recently jumped in front of my car. I didn't pause to consult my intuition; I reacted. This is what Daniel Kahneman calls "System 1" in his book "Thinking Fast and Slow."
We can access our deeper intuitive wisdom when we pause to observe what's happening, allow our initial stress response to settle, and quiet the chatter of past experiences. We see circumstances more clearly, distinguish between obstacles and opportunities, and make discerning decisions. Sometimes, all we can say is, "It feels right,"—but that's enough to act on. That's intuition speaking. Self-doubt creeps in when fear drives our decisions, often manifesting as the fear of making mistakes. This is where trust becomes essential.
Do you trust yourself that you will figure it out, whatever happens?
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
We all want to know what to expect around the corner, especially regarding technology and AI, which affect our lives to varying degrees. Kate O'Neill states that in the face of complexity, our most powerful tool is not certainty but curiosity. In her new book, "What Matters Next," which you can see below, she shares tools and strategies for meeting the uncertainty of the future more confidently and effectively.
CERTAINTY IS NOT THE GOAL—CURIOSITY, CLARITY, & CONFIDENCE ARE
We may never know exactly what to do to meet the future and its constantly changing reality, but aligning with what matters becomes our North Star. To avoid getting stuck on the hamster wheel of FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt), we must learn to pause more. These moments of pause allow us to reconnect with our intention and align with our strategy, giving us the courage to move forward with clarity and confidence. After all, change and growth are essential to life—that's why certainty is boring.
So, get out there and meet your future self every day, moment by moment. We grow a little with each passing moment, and only when we look back do we truly see our transformation.
