🎲 The only certainty is uncertainty

There are many anxiety-inducing events happening in the world today – whether it’s related to climate change, avian influenza, large-scale layoffs, artificial intelligence, or political unrest – there’s a lot of uncertainty to navigate in one’s life right now.

It’s easy to become paralyzed by the growing mountain of concerns we are collectively experiencing in this moment. I’ve found that the best way for me to remain physically and mentally healthy while navigating these concerns is to focus on the things that are within my control. And, when an opportunity presents itself, to “plant seeds” for a future version of myself to benefit from.

After all, the best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago; the next best time is today.

Please note: this newsletter adheres to Daniel Miessler’s AI Influence Level (AIL) Zero

Invest in yourself; it’s the best investment you’ll ever make. If you make time for learning, skill development, and personal growth – you’ll quickly find yourself outpacing all of those other people who instead invest their time and effort into dopamine loops. Aim for two hours a day, five days a week, for forty eight weeks in a year. After a year, you’ll have worked the equivalent of a full-time job in that role for 3 months.

Build your public brand; it’s the only way to stand-out in a crowded market of people that are making the minimal investment necessary to hold a job. When Daniel Miessler published “Who’s Not Getting Laid Off?” my mind immediately went to people with a great public brand. If anything, such people are being heavily recruited right now.

Be authentic; it’s good for your mental health and overall well-being. Part of what I learned from several years of psychotherapy as a young adult was that being comfortable with who you are can shed a lot of the anxiety and depression that being inauthentic ultimately leads to.

Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa. “...if you remain silent, then no matter how much talent you have, nobody’s likely to search you out.” This is increasingly true today as the economy transitions back to an employer’s market. If you don’t have a public brand and a website to showcase all of your talent, you’ll end up as just another person in the crowd.

The Way of the Ronin by Beverly A. Potter. “Education no longer guarantees a sure route to economic security and social status. Because of blocks in climbing up the ladder—the shrinking pyramid, economic problems, technological change, too many baby-boomers for too few jobs—we need to break out of our narrow and rigid career patterns. Rather than following a linear career pattern, we need to develop more flexibility.” Although I cited this book just a couple of weeks ago, I feel like it bears repeating this week. Can you believe this was published in 1984?!

Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman. “...the choice you can make is to stop believing you’ll ever solve the challenge of busyness by cramming more in, because that just makes matters worse. And once you stop investing in the idea that you might one day achieve peace of mind that way, it becomes easier to find peace of mind in the present, in the midst of overwhelming demands, because you’re no longer making your peace of mind dependent on dealing with all the demands.” Immerse yourself into fewer things if you want to experience them deeply.

With You and the Rain. As a fan of anime, I’ve found this show to be an absolute delight. It serves as my “mid-week cleanse” on Wednesday’s, with its light humor and cozy “slice of life” plot line. If you’re into anime and looking for something to warm your soul, this is it.

What Happens after A.I. Destroys College Writing? by Hua Hsu. This was an exceptionally long read – which I’m guessing was also part of the point. The time we spend paying attention to the written word is shrinking as a global society, which I can only imagine will have deleterious affects on the future of science, engineering, and society as a result; I sometimes wonder if this is what will lead us into the next “medieval period”.

I’m Worried It Might Get Really Bad by Daniel Miessler. I agree with a lot of what Daniel shares in this post, and I’m likewise seeing a lot of the same anecdotal evidence. That said, I think the only way each one of us is going to get through this is by planning for uncertainty and preparing accordingly (see above).

For me, the only way I can make peace with uncertainty is by making plans.

As my wife would probably share, I’m the king of making plans. Heck, I even schedule time to make plans when I know that I need to be making them. As you can probably tell by now, I’m a very “calendar” and “task” driven person.

Whether it’s lunch and dinner reservations during a week where I’m at a conference, or assembling a detailed itinerary for a two week trip to Japan, I find that I’m only able to relax once I have an idea of what my calendar will look like. Usually weeks or months in advance.

Likewise, I’ve been trying to learn to “let go” and just enjoy the moment by leaning into practicing Zen. I think it has helped, but maybe that’s just the usual midlife crisis, “finding religion”, etc. talking.

So, how are you preparing for uncertainty?

Let me know what you think.

– Keith