Mindset is the number one determinant of outcomes, particularly when faced with the unknown. As human beings, we are faced with uncertainty every day, but we try to provide ourselves with a sense of control by setting up activities that provide predictability and where we try to convince ourselves that we are having an impact.
To help deal with the unknown and uncertainty in a productive way, you should get yourself W.I.R.E.D. for success in the face of an unpredictable future.
- Worst: For those who are wired to be anxious, “defensive pessimism” is a technique to help reduce anxiety around uncertainty. In defensive pessimism, a person envisions the absolute worst that can happen and then prepares for that, thereby improving their performance and outcomes. If this technique works for you, it has been shown to have many positive benefits in reducing anxiety and depression and those who are prone to defensive pessimism do not generally perform worse than others.
- Investigate: All of the possible fantastic outcomes should be explored by taking a glass half full approach. If you can’t come up with possible good outcomes on your own, lean on someone you know who is an optimist. By opening yourself to outcomes outside of a linear path, you may be able to identify other opportunities and gain enthusiasm.
- Repeat: Repeat the area that you are concerned about and de-sensitize yourself to talking about it. If you have ever watched Harry Potter, the evil character of Voldemort is so intimidating that most of the characters refer to him as “He Who Shall Not Be Named” instead of using the name Voldemort. There is power in mystery, so demystify by repeating the concerns and adjusting to your fears.
- Expectations: Set your goals not on outcomes but on setting plans to follow. There may be surprising opportunities that would be missed if you don’t open yourself up to possibilities. Focus on what you can do, rather than what is out of your control. If your efforts are focused on the experience rather than an emotional attachment to a set outcome, you are more likely to enjoy the process and journey
- De-stress: There are many techniques available to help individuals reduce stress-levels. These can include mindfulness-based stress reduction, meditation, exercise, finding community based activities that fuel a sense of belonging, singing, reading or any of a number of techniques can help you to find your balance when it feels like an uncertain future has you concerned. Find the technique that calls most to you and when you start to feel anxiety or concern, find ways to release endorphins and contextualize the stressors.
Ultimately, keeping perspective and not letting emotions run away are important to being productive, happy and healthy in the face of the unknown.
This content was originally published at thriveglobal.com.
Lisa Beth Lentini Walker, who began contributing to CCI in 2022 as Well-Being Editor, is the CEO of Lumen Worldwide Endeavors, a firm specializing in compliance, governance and ethics consulting. She is a National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC) and a certified meditation and mindfulness specialist. She also is an adjunct professor of law in the U.S. and EU. Lisa Beth has led award-winning legal and compliance departments within large public corporations and privately held enterprises. She does this by strategically aligning resources to create efficiencies and advising the board of directors to further strategic initiatives while mitigating risks in all aspects of the domestic and global operations. She has held corporate secretarial, legal, compliance, ethics, governance and risk positions as an attorney at a Fortune 50 corporation, as the compliance leader of a global travel company operating in 150 countries and as the corporate secretary, chief compliance officer and co-chair of the risk council at a NYSE-listed corporation. Lisa Beth also served with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington, D.C., in the Divisions of Corporation Finance and Enforcement. Lisa Beth is a member of the Minnesota, New Jersey, New York and District of Columbia bars. She delights in the art of possibility. In her free time, she is an advisory board member to a women’s fashion startup, Alice Riot, she serves on the board of Stages Theatre (a children’s theatre) in Hopkins, Minnesota, and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics and the Healthcare Compliance Association (SCCE/HCCA). Lisa Beth co-authored the book, 
