The Lingering Shadow of Uncertainty

So many of us have been longing for 2022 to be a fresh start and a renewed opportunity to finally return to the highlights of living, working, studying, competing, and socializing in a campus community again. And yet there continues to be a lingering shadow of uncertainty about not only this year, but the years ahead.

 

In many ways, uncertainty is the new normal. But as Marketoonist Tom Fishburne warns, “decision paralysis is particularly acute in the face of an uncertain future.” This helps explain why we see, for example, students who are hesitant about enrolling in college at all, as the share of high school students enrolling directly in college continues to fall. Neither are higher education administrators immune to decision paralysis, as Omicron unsettles their campuses. All of this uncertainty makes managing ambiguity a necessary skill for everyone.

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Dr. Travis Bradberry, author of Emotional Intelligence 2.0 and a co-founder of TalentSmartEQ, published 11 Ways Emotionally Intelligent People Overcome Uncertainty. These tips focus on how to deal with situations “where uncertainty rules and important decisions must be made every day with minimal information.” One thing is for certain, this is another teachable moment in the Book of Life — and a strong foundation for making 2022 a highlight rather than a lowlight.