Your Comfort Level with Uncertainty

How comfortable are you with uncertainty?

Are you someone who "just wants to know!"?

I know I used to be.

I remember when we were moving to Virginia. I spent almost a year in complete unknown regarding when and where we would move. My husband had moved ahead of us in August of 2018 to begin his new job. We put the house on the market in September, and my son started 6th grade (middle school) at home in Pennsylvania. We had decided that my son and I would stay until the house was sold, then find a new home and move to Virginia. But we didn't know when.

It was all completely up in the air. I had no guarantee about anything. Our friends threw us a going away party in November. Then my girlfriends took me out in February for another farewell. We continued to not have a timeline because our house was sitting there with no offers. Finally, in March of 2019, our house sold and closed in April! But this late in the school year, we didn't want to move our son. So he and I stayed in a friend's home for the remainder of the school year, and we finally moved to Virginia in June.

Was I calm and laid back about this uncertainty?

NO!!!!

I was anxious.

I wanted to know.

I wanted to plan.

I wanted to look at houses in Virginia and begin to envision our new life. I wanted to think about my new career goals and know when I could begin. I like to be able to picture myself when I plan. The fact that I couldn't do this in any way was extremely stressful.

I tell this story today because, over time, I have become much more able to embrace uncertainty. I have come to realize that nothing can ever really be certain. You can never guarantee any outcome. You can't know every scenario - no matter how much you plan. I don't say this to make you more anxious about the future and your inability to control or predict it. Quite the opposite!

No amount of worrying, stressing, forcing, or panicking can change it.

Embrace the unknown - because it's all unknown.

If you’re stuck in uncertainty, try this:

Write out the worst-case scenario, the best-case scenario, and the most likely outcome.

Then ask: What do I need no matter which of these happens? That’s your next step. That’s your draft.

Journal Prompts

• What does uncertainty feel like in my body and mind?

• What areas of my life are currently “up in the air”? How am I reacting to not having all the answers right now?

• When have I navigated uncertainty successfully in the past? What helped me cope or move forward?

• What do I wish I could control right now—and what might happen if I let go a little?

• What possibilities exist in the unknown? List at least 3 ways uncertainty could open unexpected doors.

• How would my life change if I trusted the process more fully?

• Who do I become when I stop trying to force outcomes? Reflect on how that version of you might feel, speak, and act.

Affirmations

• I can be grounded even when the path ahead is unclear.

• Uncertainty is not the enemy—it’s the space where possibilities live.

• I release the need to control what’s not mine to carry.

• I trust that clarity will come in its time.

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Save the Date!

I am in the planning stages for our first annual planning retreat - Draft Your Year with Pencil and Purpose! Dates are January 22-25, with a Thursday evening arrival and departure Sunday morning. This will be for members and other guests (known by either me or a member). I'm tentatively planning to include breakfast, lunch and snacks with dinner on your own (as long as the location has options). Cost is to be determined and will depend upon the number of participants. I want to book a house in the fall and will be looking to get confirmations and a deposit by then. Stay tuned!

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Office Hours:  Office Hours for August will be on Monday, August 18. This is for Editor's Circle Coaching Members as well as any Guided Revision Coaching Members who would like to touch base between scheduled coaching appointments. HERE is the link to schedule a 30-minute slot

The Weekly Draft: happens every Sunday evening at 7pm at this link. Come prepared to reflect on the past week and draft the upcoming week. It is meant to be a heads down, co-planning time, with me being available to share strategies and/or answer questions. Join me HERE