How to make bold moves in uncertain times: lessons from a supercharged cocktail of personal growth experiences

What separates those of us who take risks — feel the fear and do it anyway — from those who are paralysed by the unknown?

This question endlessly fascinates me.

Uncertainty. Complexity. Overwhelm. How can we possibly make big, bold decisions and move forward in today's volatile world?

My mentors, people who inspire me, and my dream clients share the quality of making bold moves despite uncertainty. But how?

During November and December of 2021, I imbibed a supercharged cocktail of personal growth experiences. Within the space of about 6 weeks, I began improvisation classes, completed an 8 day Outward Bound rafting journey, and joined a team at Collective Intelligence.

All of these experiences required me to:

a) Trust my instinct that it is the right thing for me to do, despite not knowing exactly what would happen;

b) Be open to the unknown/ trust in the process;

c) Be willing to be open, vulnerable and trusting with my emotions and experiences with people I'd just met.

Sure. I hear you. I feel your heart beating faster and your thoughts spiraling. There's a risk there. Some friends told me that any of these experiences would be their worst nightmare.

But there is also a very compelling and magnetic connecting point among those who put themselves forward and choose to take part. There is a shared set of values which make everyone think it's a good idea to show up in the same space in this way with the potential reward of creating a powerful new community.

I'm not going to lie. It was a full on period. I followed it with an outdoor summer holiday season of active being, non-reflection, and letting the learning settle.

So. What did I learn about crossing the threshold and making bold moves?

• Outward Bound taught me about timelessness of values (it doesn't matter how old you are) and the certainty you create by knowing and acting on what is important to you. When you lead a life led by your values, (or when you run a business by the company's values), you create a strong, platform to make bold moves.
• Improv teaches me about being in the moment, locating and responding to feelings, and letting go of any pretense of predetermining the outcome. This is a context which calls for letting go of thinking in advance, and fighting the urge to think up impressive lines or plot twists that don't arise from the scene you are co-creating with the other person in the present moment.
• Collective Intelligence teaches me about the power of learning opportunities from diversity of thought. That is, if you're willing to cut the bullsh*t and talk about what's going on for you, like what's really going on for you. A consciously curated and inclusive group of active listeners and open question-askers will give you golden advice that money could never buy.

So where does this leave us?

I recently came across a RNZ article by 'philosopher and renowned expert in really hard choices', Dr Ruth Chang. It resonated with me enormously. "Difficult decisions are about emotional values, not scientific units. [...] Many people think the point of life is to be happy, and this view says no, that’s a mistake. It’s about being wholehearted. Life is about making yourself do things that express you."

So do the mahi. Know your values. Know your values can be a constant and a tool for you. Trust. Take a risk. We're all just making it up as we go along.

Express yourself wholeheartedly.

Ngā mihi o te tau hou!