Face the unknown with confidence

Shoulders hunched, face drawn, sighing deeply. The client didn’t need to audibly tell the coach how anxious he was about moving jobs and moving house, it was communicated through his presentation of self.

At first he had been excited, but now his thoughts and questions were spiralling out of control and keeping him awake at night. Anticipation about stepping into a fun new adventure had quickly become stress, prompted by imagined terrors lurking in his unknown future.

Why can uncertainty affect your confidence?

A lot of people become frozen in the void like this, between the now and not yet. Fear can come from a previous bad experience or having to leave what you know behind. More often than not though, it comes from not knowing what to expect, from a lack of information or preparation.

When uncertainty is affecting your confidence, identifying what you're worried about and taking action on the things within your control can help the situation feel more manageable.

How can you feel more confident about the unknown?

Start off by asking yourself what is it that you are actually worried about? It may not be what you think.

1. Make a list of all of your concerns, both big and small

2. Starting at the top, ask yourself which of these is bothering me most?

3. When you have identified it, ask yourself: what action(s) do I need to take to alleviate this concern? Repeat the process with your next greatest concern

4. Now start taking action for each concern and give yourself actual dates and deadlines (where applicable)

5. When you have taken some of the action needed, stop and reflect on how you feel. Do you feel like you have more information, feel better prepared or know what the next step is? If the answer is no, what is missing? What is it about the unknown that is still causing you concern? What can you do about it?

6. Keep repeating the process until you feel a level of confidence and have the information you need. Confidence doesn't necessarily mean knowing exactly what will happen. It can also mean trusting that you've prepared for what you can and that you'll be able to respond to what comes next.

Focus on what you can control

Even achieving the smallest tasks and making basic decisions about your future can help you feel in control again. Decide to take action in the unknown to take away the power of fear within it. Even achieving the smallest tasks and making basic decisions about your future can help you feel in control again.