Face the unknown with confidence

Shoulders hunched, face drawn, sighing deeply. The client didn’t need to tell the coach how anxious he was about moving jobs and moving house, it was communicated by every fibre of his being.

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

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.

There is one very simple, easy way to deal with the unknown and replace anxiety with confidence and peace. Take action in the unknown to make the unknown known.

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.

5. When you have taken some of the action needed, stop and reflect on how you feel. Do you feel more confident, in control and peaceful?  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 confident and have all the information you need or are fully prepared so the unknown is now known.

Don’t be stuck in the void feeling afraid and helpless. Decide to take action in the unknown to make the unknown known. Even achieving the smallest tasks and making basic decisions about your future can help you feel in control again.