Embracing Uncertainty

posted on: August 21, 2023
author: Brian Lomax, Ed.D.

You as the Fan

If you are a sports fan, you likely get excited to watch your favorite teams and players compete, especially in big events. You watch the competition in person or on television, because you want to see who wins. And before the event starts, you don’t know who is going to win. That’s the exciting part. The result is uncertain, and you are willing to spend time and money to see what will happen. You don’t know how you are going to feel at the end, but you will probably enjoy the experience along the way.

But what if you did know what was going to happen? What if you knew who was going to win? Would you still watch? Would you still buy a ticket? Some people might, but I think most people would opt out of spending the time or money because knowing the result ahead of time kind of ruins the experience. As a fan, you actually don’t want to know who wins ahead of time.

You as the Athlete

However, when you are the athlete in a game or competition, you probably don’t embrace the uncertainty of the result in the same way that a fan would. This uncertainty is often the root of anxiety. You don’t know if you will win, and that fact can be unsettling. In this situation, you may desire certainty because it feels safer and more comfortable.

But if you think about it, that desire for certainty detracts from the experience, and it isn’t how the world works. So, what if you could get excited about the fact that you don’t know who is going to win your competition today, and truly embrace that? Would that change things for you? Instead of fearing the outcome, get excited to perform with courage, and see what happens. This is the path to enjoyment and improvement. How could you do this?