Uncertainty will freeze you in place if you let it. Jonathan Fields knows the risks—and potential power—of uncertainty. He gave up a six-figure income as a lawyer to make $12 an hour as a personal trainer. Then he signed a lease to launch a yoga center in the heart of New York City . . . the day before 9/11. But he survived, and along the way developed a fresh approach to transforming uncertainty into a catalyst for innovation and achievement. Fields draws on leading-edge technology, cognitive science, and ancient awareness-focusing techniques in a fresh, practical, nondogmatic way. His approach enables creativity and productivity on an entirely different level and can turn the once-tortuous journey into a more enjoyable quest.
[...]... though, we see that neurologically driven primal resistance to uncertainty isn’t the only roadblock UNCERTAINTY AND JUDGMENT Uncertainty and fear of judgment go hand in hand The more you lean into uncertainty and the greater the risks you take to create something that didn’t exist before, the greater will be the potential for you to be judged and criticized That judgment is almost always served up... hyperalertness and, for many, anywhere from mild to severe fear and anxiety This action of the amygdala makes most people experience uncertainty not as something to be desired and danced with but as a form of suffering to be banished by any means necessary Most of us —not all of us, and not all on the same level—but most of us react to uncertainty strongly enough for it to be a limiting factor in our lives and. .. embrace uncertainty, risk, and judgment and hang on a bit longer If only we’d learned how to harness and ride rather than hunt and kill the butterflies that live in the gut of every person who strives to create something extraordinary from nothing 2 WHAT UNCERTAINTY DOES TO US IF IT’S SO obvious that embracing uncertainty, risk, and criticism is essential for high-level creativity and innovation, why do... to dance with it long enough to come up with better solutions, ideas, and creations This finding largely mirrors what we’ve seen unfold in the lives of the greatest creators and innovators for generations However, in the context of creativity and innovation, the use of the word “tolerance” is troubling It frames the experience of uncertainty as one to be endured and suffered rather than invited and. .. creativity and innovation, then, it’s more constructive to replace the phrase “tolerance for ambiguity” with “willingness to embrace the unknown.” Some of the greatest innovation and success comes from taking the endeavor a step beyond embracing and downright bum-rushing uncertainty, risk, and criticism AMPLIFYING UNCERTAINTY In mid-2004, a parade of newly minted investment bankers bounced their way... the artists’ expectations of exposure, evaluation, and judgment likely plays a very real, if not predominant, role in the drop in creativity The studies done by Trautmann’s team and by Amabile paint a fascinating picture of the impact of fear of judgment on our tolerance for ambiguity, uncertainty, risk taking, and creativity Exposure to judgment and uncertainty aren’t going away Nor, as a creator, do... higher and higher levels And uncertainty is a signpost of novelty and innovation, telling you that what you’re creating is really worth creating For most other endeavors, once that energy cedes to the more long-term, “get it done” nature of any meaningful creative endeavor, the discomfort and anxiety that ride along become a stronger and stronger force All too often, one of two things happens The fear and. .. a lifetime of returning to that place again and again For those driven to create something extraordinary from nothing, there is no end There are only ebbs and flows The problem is, the vast majority of creators across all fields, from painters to entrepreneurs and writers to CEOs, are horribly equipped to handle the fear, angst, and anxiety that ride along with these critical moments And it’s this very... for acceptance But the effect can actually be far more insidious It extends beyond slowing down the pace of creation and impacts the amplitude of innovation by making you less tolerant of uncertainty and, in turn, either less innovative or less willing to share what may be perceived as loony ideas with others THE JUDGMENT AND UNCERTAINTY DEATH SPIRAL Recall the Ellsberg paradox Given the chance to pick... judgment and leverage it to improve our creations In reality, we may not be as hardwired to avoid uncertainty as we are hardwired to avoid wanting to be judged for taking the lessmainstream path and coming up empty Fear of judgment stifles our ability to embrace uncertainty and as part of that process delivers a serious blow to our willingness to create anything that hasn’t already been done and validated . PUBLICATION DATA Fields, Jonathan. Uncertainty : turning fear and doubt into fuel for brilliance / Jonathan Fields. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN : 97 8-1 -1 0 1-5 445 3-2 1. Risk taking (Psychology) 2. Uncertainty. . 1 - WHY UNCERTAINTY MATTERS Chapter 2 - WHAT UNCERTAINTY DOES TO US Chapter 3 - THE MYTH OF THE FEARLESS CREATOR Chapter 4 - FIND YOUR CERTAINTY ANCHORS Chapter 5 - BUILD YOUR HIVE Chapter 6 -. Diet and Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips Uncertainty is a great gift, a marvelous book. Jonathan calls out the elephant in our lives, the fear of failure, and gives us the insights, the rituals, and