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From Maximum Uncertainty to Maximum Motivation

Remember your ABCs… Let’s face it. There are very few moments in life when we are 100% certain of what’s going to happen. The possibility of a different world, however improbable, always exists. Especially in situations that may be life-altering like starting a new business. Joining a new company. Moving to a different country. Getting … Continued
Aman Merchant

Aman Merchant

3 Min Read

Remember your ABCs…

Let’s face it. There are very few moments in life when we are 100% certain of what’s going to happen. The possibility of a different world, however improbable, always exists.

Especially in situations that may be life-altering like starting a new business. Joining a new company. Moving to a different country. Getting a life partner. And more.

Clearly, we can’t let procrastination around those pivotal situations lead to analysis paralysis. Otherwise, we’ll never do anything. But then again, if our goal is to attain high performance and get into flow states in any situation, and especially those challenging ones, regardless of the levels of uncertainty, how can we still act with confidence? Clearly, It’s the moments where we aren’t confident but find a way to do it, that holds the greatest opportunity for growth. What practices can be used then to cultivate a more unconfidence mindset?

I’ve come to learn and practice a few unconfident action skills that help me shift from those states of maximum uncertainty to maximum motivation and momentum.

It’s as if I’ve self-hypnotized myself, so much so that nothing else shows up at the moment, except focused attention on the matter at hand. With a richness of detail and calmness of mind that would have seemed ridiculous a few moments back. These are no magic tricks really and it may take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours of sleeping over it, for these practices to bear fruit.

I call them the ABC’S … Let’s dive in.

Awareness

  • This is the ability for me to slow things down — meditation, tapping, breathwork, walking — so I don’t feel a rushed energy to find an answer. It’s allowing my mind to center and wander at the same time.

Bravery and bluff

  • This is the ability to act even when I’m not clear, knowing that whatever happens, will be in my best interests, even if it doesn’t make sense at that point in time. And for me to put in the required effort to keep moving the flywheel. At some time, it will have a momentum of its own. But just like the Stocksdale Paradox, I can’t try to second guess that and then get demotivated if it doesn’t arrive as expected. And it requires me to take the big stakes and chunk them into smaller manageable steps. And very importantly, connect and communicate with those who’ve taken similar actions before, so I’m able to normalize the unconfident action. It helps install a group dynamic of bravery.

Conviction

  • This is the ability to remind myself as to why getting thru to the other side matters. What’s the deepest why for not stopping too soon?

Spirituality

  • Probably the most powerful for me — the ability to connect to the Source. To close my eyes and ask for guidance. To remind myself that ‘this too will pass’ To not overthink the negatives. To feel grateful to be in the situation. To ask myself how this is a blessing for me.

As I said, the ABC’S are not a magic formula for getting into flow in uncertain times, but they certainly move me forward.

Photo by Xan Griffin on Unsplash

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