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Wednesday, June 29, 2022

Making Decisions in the Face of Uncertainty

Operating on autopilot when you get ready for work? You’re not alone

We’re all weary from the never-ending uncertainty of the past two years. Our brains are made to recognize patterns, make judgments, and build habits to reduce the number of decisions we need to make in a day. 

But when life becomes uncertain, our brains feel threatened. That in turn leads to fight, flight, or freeze responses. And it leads to decreased motivation, focus, self-control, cooperative behaviour, and overall well-being. 

It also decreases your working memory. 

Simply put, you become less capable of  making decisions and interacting well with others. 

So, what can you do? It turns out that we can learn to deal with uncertainty. And those who do are more creative and successful in the long run. 

10 Ways to Survive—and Even Thrive—in the Face of Uncertainty

1.    Practice realistic optimism. Believe that you will have success, while acknowledging potential roadblocks. 

2.    Think about the big picture. It’s easy to get stuck in the weeds, but if you never lift your head above the ground, you will lose focus on what matters most.

3.    Consider what data you need to make a decision. You can’t know everything, so try to narrow down your search for knowledge to the relevant facts.

4.    Be willing to fail. Accept that you won’t always succeed or get it right—at least not right away.

5.    If you fail, or don’t fully succeed, allow yourself to feel frustrated for a day or two, but don’t wallow in it.

6.    Ask yourself what you’ve learned from the experience and how you can apply that in the future. 

7.    Think about your next steps. 

8.    Be willing to accept that success might look different than you had first imagined.

9.    Practice gratitude and focus on the good things you have in your life or the wins you’ve accomplished.

10. Accept that you aren’t in control. Much of our life and our work isn’t in our control, and sometimes outside forces are partly—or mostly—responsible for our successes and failures. 

Source: Harvard Business Review