Embracing Uncertainty: Learning to Thrive in the Unknown

Write it Down:

You made the bold decision to start a business fueled by raw passion and a deeply held belief in what your product can offer those who need your solution.  But, as is normally the case, shortly into the journey, mounting unknowns can dim that fire fueled vision. Early stage entrepreneurship means operating in a fog of uncertainty. How do you move forward when the way ahead contains endless questions without concrete answers?  This is why I stress the importance of writing things down.  By doing so you give yourself the chance to identify some of the inevitable pitfalls and prepare for them.  Whether that means saving up money or finding the inspired courage to get up and get at it, having a tangible representation of your path or plan can make all the difference in the early stages of starting a business.

The fact is – uncertainty IS the entrepreneur’s way of life. But shifting perspective allows you to ride each wave rather than fear being crushed beneath the wave of ambiguity. When you can learn to shift your perspective of uncertainty by organizing your data you start to realize that all things that could offer you the version of freedom you desire are, in nearly all cases, uncertain in their nature.  Handling these waves requires that “it” factor.  You have to be one of those seemingly delusional people who actively works at getting your focus in check.  Like any other part of business you have to practice the skill to get good at it.  Thankfully, life as an entrepreneur will afford you plenty of opportunities to do so.

Switch Your Perspective:

What if you thought about future demand, customer response, revenue streams, and operational needs as being full of infinite possibilities rather than paralyzing limitations! What you perceive as unstable ground is actually a wide open space for innovation.  It takes a problem solver mindset to look at the variable as opportunity but that is what brought us here in the first place. You built something that solves a problem for someone else but that doesn’t mean that you won’t have to approach your business a client sometimes and find a way to take advantage of these “possibilities” for yourself.

Handling the Freedom:

Of course, with great freedom comes great emotion. The swings of even day to day life as an entrepreneur can seem overwhelming as those real life questions start to pile up. It's important to even out your impulse response to both the early growth and unexpected setbacks.  This is a long game that requires a healthy amount of resilience and persistence to win.  Build your game plan early and test it often.  It will help you start the process of building your routine responses to unexpected events.  

It helps to expect the rollercoaster rather than judge each dip as a surprise fail. Set milestones and celebrate when you get to them but don’t let the high of victory deplete your reserves for the next sector.  Make a habit of resetting the next day. Pace yourself and  focus on smaller measurements of progress so you’re not dependent on massive goals for your sense of achievement.

It Is What it Is:

At the end of the day, operating with some degree of uncertainty is the very nature of guiding a vision that doesn’t yet exist. And YOU were built for this adventure!

Once you recognize ambiguity for the thrill that it is, you’ll trust in your ability to steer through it even when you can’t see ahead. Living with uncertainty just means you get the opportunity to explore endless options in charting the course that’s right for you. Don’t sit idly by waiting on fate to launch you to the next level.  It is cliche but true that “fortune favors the bold.” YOU launched your venture because no formulaic corporate path could get you to your dream homestead on the other side of that mountain. So shed your habit linear thinking, breathe in the thrill of the unknown, and pioneer forward with the tenacity of a pitbull on a pork chop. This is what it means to be an entrepreneur. And you were born ready for the ride!

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