If the last few years have taught us anything, it is that no matter how much we try to avoid uncertainty in our life, we can never escape it. The reality is that so many things are out of our control but will impact our lives. 

You have probably heard this a million times before. Still, by way of example, when I played rugby for England, we used the phrase “getting comfortable with feeling uncomfortable”, and this is exactly what being antifragile means. Back then, it meant getting our heart rates up before training to get comfortable with that level of stress.

While I am not expecting people in the office to get their heart rates up intentionally, we can still train ourselves to be comfortable with uncomfortable situations. 

A great example of this is Netflix and their monkey chaos strategy. “The team created a custom tool that was explicitly designed to cause chaos in their system at unexpected times, popping out of no-where and wreaking havoc in their network.”

What does antifragility mean?

Nassim Nicholas Taleb came up with the term antifragile in 2012, describing it as “things that gain from disorder.” 

Being antifragile is different from being resilient because you don’t only recover from adversity; you actually get better by it. Considering the times we live in, it seems we could all benefit from being more antifragile both in our professional and personal lives.

In the book Ikigai, the authors describe 3 things we can do as individuals to become more antifragile: 

• Create more options, don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
• Bet conservatively in certain areas and take many risks in others. 
  • Taking small risks that might lead to great rewards.
• Get rid of the things that made you fragile. Setting good riddance goals. 

These tips are incredibly useful for any individual, but if we want to become antifragile in every aspect of our lives, we’ll need to shift our mindset. 

You can read more about ikigai here.

How can we shift our mindsets to become more antifragile?

This can seem challenging, but the reality is we already are more antifragile than we think. How our bodies react when doing weights is a great example of physical antifragility. We create a stressor in our bodies, and our bodies get better by it. (You can read more about stress, our bodies and antifragility here)

The same can be said about our minds; the majority of us learn and grow from challenges. Google did a thought experiment called “The eraser test”, where they asked people if they would erase the traumatic events in their lives, consequently erasing all that came from those events too. A surprising 99.99% of people said they wouldn’t erase it. The reality is that those challenges make us learn and grow. 

So, how can we shift our mindsets? We can use stoicism as an example. The stoic put themselves in difficult situations even when they aren’t real, just to get comfortable with it in case the worst scenario happens. For example, they imagine (some even live it for a while) how it would be to be poor even if they have a very comfortable and wealthy lifestyle. 

We can use this tool for ourselves and our teams too. We can imagine challenging situations and explore how they would make us feel and how we would act. We can also put ourselves in difficult but controlled situations to get used to that uncomfortable feeling. This is what getting our heart rates up did to my rugby team: it prepared us for real games. 

So, how can we build an antifragile team?

Create trust. Trust is, for me, the most important ingredient to building an antifragile team. By creating trust, people will feel more comfortable dealing with the unexpected, making mistakes or raising concerns. 

Mistakes are a good thing. While no one wants to make mistakes, we can’t always avoid them, and the reality is that we shouldn’t either. By making mistakes (as long as they are not exponential), we can learn and grow. 

Allow space for innovation. The more restricted we are in our teams, the bigger the chance that a small change will disrupt them. However, if we continually strive for innovation, we will be more accustomed to uncertainty as part of the process. 

Read more about how to look at uncertainty the Optimist way. 

Reduce the resistance to change. According to the change management theory, our resistance to change has to be lower than the effort that change will demand. If we work on making change normal, we will decrease our resistance to change. 

Take small risks. Become used to risks. In business and life, there will always be a certain amount of risk; this, however, increases exponentially in uncertain times. If we continually take small and controlled risks, we will get comfortable with them. 

The optimist view…

The question “what would happen if I get hit by a bus tomorrow” aims to help prepare the team for any unpredictable challenge. I still look both ways when crossing the road, but my goal is that everyone in the team becomes comfortable with taking risks, making decisions and taking ownership of their roles. 

At Optimist Performance, we work with businesses to explore, engage with and evolve their team values, behaviours and culture. It’s an iterative and co-creative process so that teams are committed and involved at every stage of the process, resulting in them being better prepared for uncertainty or the unexpected.  This means that no matter what happens, having built into the process and stress tested along the way, a team’s ability to get comfortable feeling uncomfortable, those involved can be confident and prepared for what happens next.  

Get in touch with us to learn more about how we can help you and your team get ready for uncertainty and change.

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You have probably already planned out what you want to do and how (your change action plan), and you are undoubtedly very motivated. However, motivation is not constant, and we need to develop some strategies to ensure we achieve our goals successfully to avoid slipping back into old patterns and routines. 

Fortunately, at Optimist Performance, we specialise in creating long-lasting behavioural change, and we have some strategies and tips that will help you succeed in changing your behaviours. 

The 6 stages of change (behaviours)

According to The Transtheoretical Model (also called the Stages of Change Model), developed by Prochaska and DiClemente in the late 1970s, there are 6 stages of change:

• Precontemplation: During this stage, people are still not considering a change. 
• Contemplation: Stage where people become more aware of the potential benefits of making a change. 
• Preparation: In this stage, people are ready to take action. 
• Action: Stage where people change their behaviour and intend to keep moving forward. 
• Maintenance: People have successfully created new behaviours. 
• Relapse: A common stage where we relapse into old behaviours. 

Let’s assume that you have already gone through the first 3 stages. You are ready to take action, and more importantly, you have created an action plan. 

Click here to read more about goal setting and how to use your ikigai for goal setting. 

Let’s focus on the last 3 stages: action, maintenance and relapse. We’ll share some strategies to include in your plan if you want to achieve success. 

4 Tips to successfully change behaviours

Successful and long-lasting behaviour change requires us to break old habits and form new ones. The time it takes to alter behaviours will vary based on the behaviour you want to change, so despite how often you’ve heard that it only takes 21 days, this is not as simple as it sounds.

Therefore, let’s create some techniques that will keep us on track as the new year’s euphoria subsides and moves us beyond relying just on our motivation to succeed.

Recognise your triggers and barriers 

Whatever the behaviour you want to change, there are going to be some triggers and barriers that will make it more challenging. The first step is to recognise these triggers and barriers so you can prepare for them in advance. 

• Triggers are actions or events that play a role in prompting particular behaviours. 
• A barrier is an obstacle that stops you from achieving what you want. 

For example, a common barrier to exercise would be a lack of time. 

Once we know our barriers and triggers, we can implement strategies for when they occur. Take some time and think about the triggers and barriers stopping you from achieving your goals. 

Develop coping strategies 

We are all for being optimistic, but that doesn’t mean closing our eyes to reality. So instead of overestimating our motivation, we prepare ourselves for when things get challenging. 

Using the previous example of exercising, waking up an hour earlier can be a solution to the lack of time barrier. 

A strategy to fight against triggers can be to develop “autopilots” (the chimp management book); this means creating an automatic response or belief in your mind to react to a specific trigger. 

This may seem challenging, but in reality, we have a lot more power to change our thoughts than we believe. Since you now know the triggers and barriers to changing the desired behaviour, you can develop strategies to overcome them. 

Reward yourself 

As we mentioned before, motivation is not constant, so instead of focusing on maintaining our motivation, we can use rewards to increase our self-efficacy. 

Self-efficacy is a person’s belief in their ability to complete a task or achieve a goal. Many studies show self-efficacy is a great indicator of success when changing behaviours. The more we believe we can do something, the greater our chance of succeeding. 

Creating short-term goals and rewarding ourselves for small wins along the way is a great strategy to achieve success. It’s a way to reassure ourselves that we are capable of change, increasing our self-efficacy and, in turn, our motivation to keep going. 

Reaffirm yourself and keep your commitment front of mind 

It’s easy to feel motivated and committed to our goal at the beginning when we are creating our plan. However, routine has a way of sending us right back to old behaviours. 

Who hasn’t set the alarm to go to the gym the night before, just to keep snoozing it in the morning until it’s time to go to work? This is why it’s important to reaffirm ourselves and make sure we keep our commitments front of mind. 

Instead of setting a goal and focusing only on what you need to do, frequently think about what it is you want to achieve: what’s the outcome you are aiming for? So for example, rather than saying to yourself that your goal is to exercise and therefore you need to make time to go to the gym regularly, you might reframe it in terms of wanting to be more actively involved with your kids or wanting to join the charity walk organised by work for later in the year. You can write down your ultimate outcome, create a vision board or just keep reminding yourself of it when you are tempted to go back to the old ways. 

The Optimist View…

We know that creating long-lasting behavioural change is not an easy task, but these tips can help you stay consistent and achieve your goals this new year. 

At Optimist Performance, we also help individuals achieve their goals through our optimist coaching. Our coaches act as that critical friend and give you the time, support and guidance we all need to achieve our goals. 

Learn more about our Optimist Coaching here or get in touch with us to discover how we can help you achieve success in 2023.

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By definition, uncertainty is a situation where we don’t know the outcome, but nowhere does it say the outcome has to be negative. Nonetheless, most of the feelings associated with uncertainty are negative, often involving stress, anxiety and the feeling of powerlessness. 

To look at it from an Optimist perspective, we need to consciously challenge the core of what we believe makes uncertainty a negative force. Then seek to change the feelings associated with it. 

Looking at uncertainty through the Optimist lens

There are many moments in our lives where we have been uncertain about the outcomes. Starting a new job, moving to a different country, bringing a new baby in the family, or creating our own company. However, even though we were probably scared in these circumstances, we were also excited about it.

The main difference is that you chose to put yourself in these situations, whereas other times you didn’t have a choice. Nonetheless, even if we didn’t choose our situation, we can still decide how we react to it. 

Looking at uncertainty through the Optimist lens means accepting the situation as it is while adopting a positive attitude. The aim is to increase the possibilities of a positive outcome by concentrating on what’s under our control. 

How to change the lens

• Replace fear of the unknown with expectations from the unknown

We can’t stop our feelings, but by managing the thoughts that led us to them, we can gain some control over them. 

When you start feeling fear or doubt creeping into your psyche, consciously choose to imagine positive outcomes. This way, we will trick our minds into feeling excitement and expectation. 

Read more about Optimising your thoughts here. 

• Stop thinking about consequences and look at the opportunities

Every change comes with an opportunity. If we are willing to adapt, we can find ourselves in an even better situation than we were before.

For example, think about people who have said, “I got fired, but in the long run, it has been the best thing that ever happened to me”. Can you be that person who sees opportunity when others see despair and challenge?

• Be prepared

Being positive doesn’t mean being unrealistic. It means being aware of every possible outcome, even the worst-case scenario, in order to convince your mind you are prepared to deal with it. 

“What happens if the CEO, COO, and CFO all fall ill at the same time?” Orlikoff offers a great example at The Diligent Institue Virtual Panel about “How Are Corporate Boards Responding to the COVID-19 Crisis?” 

• Stop fighting change

When someone decides to start a new business, they believe that the wins outweigh the losses, so they adapt positively to change. 

To thrive through uncertainty, we need to accept change as the norm and believe we are antifragile enough to make the necessary changes to provide a positive outcome. 

Read more about antifragility here.

Sign up to our monthly newsletter and watch our video “Be More Curious: A way to build an antifragile team by Charlotte Wathan”. Charly gives us tips and ideas to put into practise in order to build an antifragile team. 

• Show vulnerability

Showing vulnerability as a leader is a courageous act that tells people you are willing to show up and keep fighting even if you don’t know the outcome.

Our vulnerability usually is seen as a weakness, but as Brené Brown says, “vulnerability is where creativity and innovation are born.”  

The Optimist View…

Whether it’s due to our own choices or not, the reality is that uncertainty and change will always be part of our lives. We can’t stop change, but we can control how we react to them.  

A great example is how communities and companies came together through Covid times: we call that thriving through change. 

Let’s start thinking about uncertainty and change as an opportunity to be something better, even if we can’t see the full positive effects yet. By repeating to ourselves that we are willing and ready for every possible outcome, we are looking at uncertainty “the Optimist way.” 

At Optimist Performance, we help individuals, teams , and companies to thrive through change. Through our leadership development programmes and executive coaching, we help companies prepare for change and ensure they don’t only survive, but grow from it. Get in touch with us to know more about our programmes and coaching.

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Setbacks are never easy when they’re unexpected. We feel disappointment, frustration, panic and shock. Preparation goes well, you feel in good nick, in control. But then a big curve ball hits that you didn’t anticipate, and hits you for six.

Doddie is a glowing reminder that it’s not the setback, but how we react to it, that’s most important.

So how can we deal with the kind of setback that comes out of the blue?

I try not to over-analyse or over-react. Try to be objective and take the time to assess what’s happened and why it’s happened before you move forward.

I always think back to the four months of preparation I did for my white collar boxing fight. I was super-sharp, super-lean, and then on the day I was knocked out in 30 seconds. How did this happen?… [Time to reflect]. Maybe because four months isn’t that long. Maybe because I lost the best part of 20 kilos for the fight and wasn’t used to it. Probably because I’m not a boxer and he landed a decent punch. You pick yourself up and move on.

Killing complacency

Most of the time, though, setbacks don’t come out of the blue. They’re a time bomb waiting to happen because we’ve got complacent, stopped doing the basics and lost sight of the bigger picture.

In business or in sport complacency cannot set in as easily if everyone has bought into a team culture. Why? Because in a good team, at the first sign of complacency, or bad behaviour, someone should be able to pull you up on it. If it’s against the team’s values, you should get called on it.

In your own office, could every team member pull the others up today for being complacent or behaving badly? If not, why not? For the sake of the business, that level of transparency should be there with everyone, including your boss. In sport it’s easier to achieve than in business. Would you benefit from that kind of culture, with a bit of help?

Speaking of the boss, how important are your leaders during these tough times?

Leading for the storm, not through the storm

Leadership is vital in tough times but have you noticed how the best leaders constantly challenge themselves and their teams to self-evolve and remain open and honest? Because in that kind of environment everyone becomes empowered.

In tough times some people will step up to the plate more than others. That doesn’t make them better, it just means they relish that opportunity. Some people lead and some prefer to be led, and are most effective being well led.

The sign of a really effective, positive leader is not one who belittles or blames. It is someone who empowers and enables, fixes and problem-solves. Sometimes that means having harsh conversations but they don’t need to be negative or detrimental. Most importantly, they need to help people realise it’s not the end of the world.

We get up off the canvas and live to fight another day. Believe me, I know. And if you think you might need a hand with any of this, please get in touch.

Introducing Optimist Performance (LR) from Optimist Performance on Vimeo.

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