Turning uncertainty into opportunity



Starting a new job, moving house, quitting your job to start a new business – all of these can be great opportunities, but all of them can lead to uncertainty. We can't know for sure that they will turn out well. Could this fear of the unknown be holding us back?



Improving things in your life often requires some uncertainty, whether that's making time to learn something new, or moving to a new area. And It's not just about radical change. We often make negative assumptions about people we don't know, but if we go through the uncertainty of getting to know someone new, we can establish positive social or working relationships.



So, how can we learn to make the most of uncertainty? First, it can help to adjust the way we think about not knowing what will happen. Being curious about a new job can help us grow, while being afraid of any negative changes can stop us taking advantage of new opportunities. It can be helpful to see threats as challenges that can be overcome.



One thing that can help with this is having faith in your own abilities. When assessing an uncertain future situation, consider your own capability in being able to mitigate any issues that come up. If you know that you have the skills, knowledge or flexibility required to address unforeseen problems, then uncertainty can seem like less of a threat.



Believing in yourself is one way to build resilience. E-commerce entrepreneur Alexandre Bonvin highlights the importance of building up a cash buffer in business. Another way to build your resilience can be to take on small tasks that have some uncertainty and reflecting on how you deal with each one.



A positive mindset and building up our own personal resilience can help us use uncertainty as an opportunity for growth.



词汇表

quit [kwɪt] 离开，辞职，停止，放弃

hold back [həʊld bæk] 阻碍，妨碍（发展、前进等）；抑制，控制

radical [ˈrædɪkl] 根本的，彻底的；激进的，极端的

assumption [əˈsʌmpʃn] 假定，假设，臆断

take advantage of 充分利用，好好把握

mitigate [ˈmɪtɪɡeɪt] 减轻，缓和（问题等）

flexibility [ˌfleksəˈbɪləti] 灵活性，适应性；柔韧性，弹性

unforeseen [ˌʌnfɔː(r)ˈsiːn] 未预见到的，意料之外的

resilience [rɪˈzɪliəns] 适应力，恢复力；弹性，韧性

cash buffer [kæʃ ˈbʌfə(r)] 现金缓冲（指为应对突发情况而储备的资金）

positive mindset [ˈpɒzətɪv ˈmaɪndset] 积极的心态



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