What attracts us to the unknown?

Last month, I wrote about the reasons we hold onto things that no longer serve us.  In this post, I’m reflecting on what draws us toward new mindsets and ways of doing things. In other words, what attracts us to the unknown?

As we’re forced to adapt to climate change, our personal, professional, community, and global lives will be transformed.  When new variables show up, the relationships shift within the complex system, creating new patterns and flows. These are often named “unknown unknowns.” Over the next decades, we will be presented with increasingly more unknowns in our lives. To ensure a thriving future, we’ll have to change our systems and learn to shift mindsets (and worldviews).

This pattern has some interesting scales. This acceleration of the appearance of unknowns is characteristic of the complexity of all of our nested systems. Change in any one of the systems we live in will ripple through other systems, cascading unknowns along the way.

Now is a good time to consider what attracts us to the unknowns we see now and those that are coming in the future. We can use these ideas to become less fearful of, if not comfortable with, the ambiguity and lack of predictability that our future will certainly bring.  With practice, we can be excited about the process!

Becoming attracted to the unknowns

Like everyone, I have to shift my thinking to appreciate rather than fear walking into the unknown. Here are some of the attitudes I try to embrace to help me look forward rather than hold on:

• Generate a sense of adventure. Approaching the unknown as an adventure can help move us forward. If I am working with an organizational change initiative, for example, I try to say things like, “This will be fun” or “This journey is going to be exciting!” By doing this, I’m reinforcing a shift away from the fear attached to change.  I’m transforming it into an adventure filled with learning and interesting things to explore.
• Imagine a better future. I often spend time imagining what would be possible if we made this shift forward. This refocuses my mind away from the loss of what I once had, and I become excited about what the future may hold.
• Reflect on the pain of holding on. Sometimes, holding on to old ways of thinking or behaving becomes painful, and the negative feedback we get is difficult to ignore. Although it’s probably my least favorite way of moving forward, painful experiences also attract us to unknowns because sometimes we can’t bear the status quo any longer.
• Adopt an attitude of service.  Many people will make a change if it serves others, especially if it’s a loved one. I might not want to change my diet to eat less meat myself. I might start adapting, however, if I think it will help my nieces and nephews live in a better world in the future.

Change and systems transformation are necessary to help future generations live sustainably on our planet. When I focus on serving future generations, I challenge myself to transform my habits to help create that future for others. In an organization, leaving an organization in better shape for future employees and leaders can be a positive motivator for moving forward with transformational change.

Making the process more comfortable

A good metaphor for this process is watching a high-wire trapeze artist let go of the trapeze. They fly forward in mid-air and eventually catch hold of their partner, swinging toward her from the opposite side.

Unfortunately, I haven’t done this. But I suspect that with enough practice, a trapeze artist eventually develops trust and joy in the process. They will let go, and they will be caught. The artist becomes comfortable enough to look forward to the performance and to enjoy the thrill of completing a routine. Similarly (but hopefully not quite so dramatically) we too can develop trust in the process of moving into the unknowns.

Maybe we can learn from others who have practiced moving into the unknown. When have you learned to be a trapeze artist? What experiences have helped you lean into the unknown?