How You Can Embrace Your Unknowns

Do you remember if you were nervous when you started your first job? Did you feel those butterflies in your stomach? These feelings come up when you are facing the unknown.

Whether it might be starting school, a job, learning a new skill, or traveling abroad for the first time, it’s natural to feel uncomfortable when experiencing something new. It’s a sign that you are ready to venture out of your comfort zone and grow as an individual, because by embracing the unknown you can trigger your own growth.

What if you were to approach life as one big challenge of embracing the unknown? What could you learn? What could you accomplish? Who could you meet along the way? Who will you ultimately become?

I created a simple four step process which helps me easily embrace the unknown in my own life:

1 - Survive & Adapt
2 - Learn & Master Fundamentals
3 - Diversity & Specialize
4 - Innovate & Educate

“Survive & Adapt” is you first understand that you are entering a situation where there is already a group of people that have more knowledge and experience than you do. You first humble yourself and surrender to the fact that you don’t know anything and that you are starting at the ground floor. You will inevitably make mistakes, say the wrong things, and sometimes piss people off. Release these traumas, show others that you want to be there, and learn quickly. It is your responsibility to show up, listen, survive, and adapt to this new environment.

“Learn & Master Fundamentals” is the phase after you’ve initially acclimated. Your next step is to become competent by mastering the fundamentals of this new situation, giving you a sustainable foundation to build on top of.

“Diversify & Specialize” is the phase you enter once you’ve started to experience some level of success. You have identified your unique strengths and aptitudes which you want to build around and you branch out to learn more advanced knowledge that is built upon your foundation. You develop your skills and a personalized mode of expression that allows you to optimize for who you are and what you want to accomplish.

“Innovate & Educate” is the final phase of the process where you’ve attained a level of proficiency where you can break convention and make your own unique imprint by creating new value that others can benefit from. You help those that are now the “newbies” and pass on your knowledge for younger generations to learn from.

In summary: the next time you face the unknown and feel uncomfortable, just remember all you need to do is Survive and Adapt, Learn and Master the Fundamentals, Diversify and Specialize, and finally Innovate and Educate. Now you’ll be unstoppable and you can overcome any problem or situation you are faced with.

Leave a comment if you have your own thoughts or methods you use to tackle the unknown.