Curiosity and Creativity: The Answers to (Un)Certainty

Certainty. It’s something many of us crave, but time and time again, life proves to be uncertain. Every area of our lives produces some unknown elements. As much as we plan and prepare, the truth is uncertainty can also mean feeling insecure, unsettled, unmotivated, and at times, very disconnected from one’s purpose.

Let’s face it: uncertainty is unavoidable, especially in the workplace. Contracts aren’t renewed. Projects are nearing completion. Strategies pivot. Leadership evolves. Processes expand. New clients are onboarded with new and different demands.

Our craving for certainty, in and out of the workplace, is most often birthed out of our desire to know the future, so we can best prepare for what’s next. Preparation by itself isn’t a “bad” thing; it’s a great thing! However, when we lock our view only on the comfort of certainty, we forfeit the parts of ourselves that really allow us to discover our full potential: our curiosity and our creativity.

Curiosity. It’s normal to feel stressed when you don’t know what’s coming next. Often, that familiar energy of feeling stressed and stretched leaves us unproductive and disconnected. How then, can we put that energy to good use? The answer is in our curiosity!

When you begin to notice a feeling of unsettledness, try intentionally choosing a stance of curiosity. Instead of, “What does this uncertainty mean for me?” try “How can I use this uncertainty to propel me toward the highest and best version of myself?”

Creativity. This is the fun part! Here at HORNE, career ownership is essential to team members’ success. Career ownership means speaking up and sharing your ideas, thoughts and creative approaches. The end of a project, before the beginning of another, can afford you the opportunity to activate your creative juices. Maybe you have a new idea that can enhance processes, so when “busy” season comes back around, things flow more smoothly than last season. Or perhaps you have the perfect solution for your client’s most pressing needs, but only now, in the not-so-busy season, are you able to design and present the solution to the client creatively.

Times of uncertainty do not have to defeat us, but they can be used to better define us. Next time you’re feeling “stuck” at work, start leveraging your curiosity and creativity in these areas:

Professional Development: How can I own my career by learning and growing in my areas of professional interest?
Internal/External Processes: How can I creatively develop and propose processes that flow better for us and for our clients?
Building the Wise Firm: How can I use this time of uncertainty at work to build stronger relationships with my leaders and peers?

By shifting our mindset and learning to embrace and befriend uncertainty, we can actually unlock our curiosity, creativity and therefore, our full potential!

About the Author

Ashley serves as a full potential coach, helping team members connect their strengths with their passions in order to reach their highest personal and professional goals.