“What do I have to do to make this uncertainty the best thing that happened to me?” - Bill Johnson, Life Design Catalyst Coach and Facilitator, UNC Greensboro
As a college student, uncertainty is all around you. You make a lot of decisions that may impact your current and future success, and those decisions aren’t always easy. On top of that, there’s plenty of uncertainty in the world. This much uncertainty can cause stress and anxiety, so it’s important to know how to work through it.
No matter what kind of uncertainty you experience, working through the unknown requires a growth mindset and self-awareness. This article helps you reflect on your approach to uncertainty and gives you guidance for creating as much certainty for yourself as possible.
Growth Mindset
When you think about your life’s unknowns, you probably don’t think of them as “good.” There aren’t many people who enjoy uncertainty. However, that doesn’t mean that uncertainty has to be “bad.” Think of uncertainty as neutral, a space of possibility that can lead you to any number of outcomes. If uncertainty is a space of possibility, then your attitude and actions can affect how that uncertainty is (or isn’t) resolved. This is where a growth mindset comes in.
Facing uncertainty often connects to feeling a lack of control. You may become frozen with indecision, or you may try to avoid dealing with the uncertainty. With a growth mindset, you can embrace the challenge of uncertainty and see it as an opportunity to learn and grow. It’s like choosing “fight” over “flight” or “freeze.” Having a growth mindset means having a strong sense of agency: you are confident in yourself and in your ability to solve problems and accomplish goals. In short, you believe that you control your decisions, and you have hope that you can resolve your uncertainty in the best way possible.
Self-Awareness
Growth mindset helps facilitate your agency for effective decision making, but you also need a strong sense of self-awareness to guide your actions. When you face the unknown, it helps to know your strengths--your unique talents or abilities that you can turn to whenever you face a challenge. If you’re not sure what yours are, take the CliftonStrengths Assessment through CU Boulder and discuss your results with friends, family and your academic advisor.
In addition to knowing your strengths, it’s important to know your long-term goals. Of course, your long-term goals can be the source of uncertainty. If that is the case, reflect on the five aspects of wellbeing:
- Purpose: What do you look forward to? What is something that you would be happy to do every day?
- Social: What do strong relationships look like for you? How do they help you?
- Financial: What does financial security mean to you? How will you attain it?
- Physical: What does it take for you to feel good and healthy? How will you have the energy to get things done on a daily basis?
- Community: What do you need from your community? What do you want to give back to your community?
Thinking through these questions brings your long-term goals into focus. When you have a clear sense of your long-term goals, resolving uncertainty can be a matter of making sure that your daily actions and choices are aligned with those goals.
Finally, remember to practice self-care and try not to put too much pressure on yourself. Everybody experiences uncertainty, and your relationship with uncertainty is a process that takes time and effort. Be kind to yourself and be willing to reach out for help.