April 22, 2013 - Is not knowing sabotaging you? Do you allow what you "don't know" to get the best of you? Do you begin to conjure up scenarios in your mind that not only consume your thinking, but distract you from the progress you could be making in other areas? Have you taken a particular effort as far as you can take it by yourself, and are now at the mercy of what and how others are doing to move it forward? Has releasing control to someone else in what you are trying to accomplish left you feeling "unknowing" in a way that is uncomfortable for you? Has "not knowing" in one area made you feel that you cannot proceed into another area until you know more? Life and work are interesting and rewarding because of what we continue to learn each and every day. That is why "not knowing" can be a source of frustration and anxiety at times. We want to be able to predict the ultimate outcome, and we can't.
Take an MM&I Moment to list the sources that drive your current frustration because of "not knowing" ... the status of a particular initiative ... the answer to a particular problem ... the next steps to take in a situation ... the right person with whom you can connect more useful information ... or whatever it is that is leaving you with a big question mark about how you need to or can proceed. Then, next to each of the frustration sources you identified, list three things that you do know or even may have learned quite recently. By focusing on what you do know, you actually may reboot your thinking to help you find and consider a possible resource, a next step or a question that will help you learn more in order to know more. Don't allow "not knowing" to get you stuck. Allow it to inspire your curiosity so that it may enable you to continue to grow in what you know, versus being blocked by what you don't know.
Synergized Quote of the Week
"The public have an insatiable curiosity to know everything, except what is worth knowing." - Oscar Wilde
Yours in synergistic thinking,
Sherre'