Nicholas Bate

Living in an Age of Uncertainty: 8

So much of what  we took to be certain: qualifications and career link; seasons; pension plans; the enemy; a long-term career, abundant food and natural health, technology creating abundant leisure time: is no longer certain. Return to what is irrevocably certain: The Certainty Principles.

The back-story is here. In an Age of Uncertainty, return to what does remain timeless, certain and within our control:

Certainty Principle 7: Being or to be or not to be, that is the ONLY question.  One of the particular joys of Life is when we feel that what we are doing is 'us'; is right with who we are and want to become: working towards a purpose about which we are quietly or noisily passionate . Being Six:

1. Vision: who am I and who do I want to be?;
2. Encourage: I can!;
3. Drop labels: such as 'I am not the sort of person to start a business';
4. Slip into flow state; just write, for example. It will work eventually; 
5. Allow 'being'; take time out;
6. Being...it's all you need.

 Want more support?: all in Unplugged, Living in an Age of Uncertainty.  

Living in an Age of Uncertainty: 7

So much of what  we took to be certain: qualifications and career link; seasons; pension plans; the enemy; a long-term career, abundant food and natural health, technology creating abundant leisure time: is no longer certain. Return to what is irrevocably certain: The Certainty Principles.

The back-story is here. In an Age of Uncertainty, return to what does remain timeless, certain and within our control:

Certainty Principle 6: Love or all you need is love.  Love is the universal force. As imperative as the pull between atoms in a water molecule and as majestic as the expansion of the universe. Love Six:

1. Help: how can I help/support you?;
2. Encourage: great work-what's next?;
3. Value difference: what can you learn from them?;
4. Think abundance; just help them on the path; 
5. Avoid judgements; it's just a different way of thinking;
6. Love...it's all you need.

 To be continued. Want more support?: all in Unplugged, Living in an Age of Uncertainty.  
  

Living in an Age of Uncertainty: 6

So much of what  we took to be certain: qualifications and career link; seasons; pension plans; the enemy; a long-term career, abundant food and natural health, technology creating abundant leisure time: is no longer certain. Return to what is irrevocably certain: The Certainty Principles.

The back-story is here. In an Age of Uncertainty, return to what does remain timeless, certain and within our control:

Certainty Principle 5: Possibility or think outside the box.  Some systems are complicated (The New York Subway fist time you meet it as an excited visitor). But some systems are complex (financial systems, the weather, your career path)Consider the Possibility Six:

1. Know what's in the box: what is a given e.g. for your career;
2. Give attention: to complexity, don't avoid it nor try and control it;
3. Notice patterns: in relationships, career choices and when you spot good stock;
4. Seek the simplicity which is the far side of complexity; not just 'GTD' but 'G The Right TD'; 
5. Accept that things won't always go your way; but amazing stuff can come out of that
6. Chaos is the new order; Grey is the new black and less is so often more....To be continued. Want more support?: all in Unplugged, Living in an Age of Uncertainty. 

  

Living in an Age of Uncertainty: 5

So much of what  we took to be certain: qualifications and career link; pension plans; the enemy; a long-term career, abundant food and natural health, technology creating abundant leisure time: is no longer certain. Return to what is irrevocably certain: The Certainty Principles.

The back-story is here. In an Age of Uncertainty, return to what does remain timeless, certain and within our control:

Certainty Principle 4: Direction or It's never about time, it's about direction.  In an exciting Life you will never have enough time: but you can get on the path to what you seek: you can choose your direction.Consider the Direction Six:

1. Set: your compass rather than your watch;
2. Give attention: to all six compass points;
3. Career(1) and Fun(2): Less about what do you want to do and more about who do you want to be?;
4. Money(3) and Mind/Body(4); less about 'stuff' and more about true wealth; 
5. Relationships(5) and Contribution(6): less about control and more about abundance thinking;
6. Do less; achieve more. Invest in your compass....

To be continued. Want more support?: all in Unplugged, Living in an Age of Uncertainty. 

Living in an Age of Uncertainty: 4

So much of what  we took to be certain: qualifications and career link; pension plans; the enemy; a long-term career, abundant food and natural health: is no longer certain. Return to what is irrevocably certain: The Certainty Principles.

The back-story is here. In an Age of Uncertainty, return to what does remain timeless, certain and within our control:

Certainty Principle 3: Passion or Whatever you do, do it with Passion.  Passion can never be taken away from you: return to passion rather than 'sort of' dulled 'OK' by adopting the Passion Six:

1. Choose: to do it with passion. Everything becomes more enjoyable; do it for yourself if for no other reason;
2. Be here now: stay grounded and enjoy the moment;
3. Have a vision: it may or may not manifest but it sure gets you out of bed in the morning;
4. Nurture yourself; meditation-exercise-diet-sleep; 
5. Watch your language: your language is how you programme yourself: 'I can't draw' er....;
6. Look for the intrinsic worth in all you do; chop wood, carry water, wash dishes, interview clients....

To be continued. Want more support?: all in Unplugged, Living in an Age of Uncertainty. 

Living in an Age of Uncertainty: 3

So much of what would we took to be certain: qualifications and career link; pension plans; the enemy; a long-term career: is no longer certain. Return to what is irrevocably certain: The Certainty Principles.

The back-story is here. In an Age of Uncertainty, return to what does remain timeless, certain and within our control:

Certainty Principle 2: Wisdom or Mind over Matter.  Wisdom can never be taken away from you: return to wisdom rather than hear-say by adopting the Wisdom Six:

1. Invest: in your brain. Many spend more on their car than they do on their brain;
2. Read: deeply and widely;
3. Discuss: especially with people who disagree; work hard to understand (not necessarily to agree nor support) their viewpoint;
4. Develop: your attention; the dying art of prolonged attention to develop deep understanding; 
5. Develop your creativity: through alternate deep immersion in a subject and then data deprivation to let the ideas incubate and develop;
6. And hence develop your intuition; the ability to just know.

To be continued. Want more support?: all in Unplugged, Living in an Age of Uncertainty. 

Living in an Age of Uncertainty: 2

The back-story is here. In an Age of Uncertainty, return to what does remain timeless, certain and within our control:

Certainty Principle 1: Simplicity or Less is More.  Return to simplicity by adopting the Simplicity Six:

1. Asking: what do I really want of my Life? The answer is usually remarkably simple it's just that we easily lose sight of that dream;
2. Deciding: to adopt an unplugged lifestyle where simplicity has a higher value than undue complexity, from food shopping to our business;
3. Enjoy: fewer things really well rather than struggling to appreciate a lot but doing it poorly, from our daughter's music concerts to a client presentation;
4. Work: at those fewer things so you become a master at them with the joy that brings. An awesome presenter. A great dad.
5. Reduce: data input. Cancel the Sunday newspapers and take the kids fishing;
6. Don't: measure yourself against the acquisitions of others: be you.

To be continued. Want more support?: all in Unplugged, Living in an Age of Uncertainty. 

Living in An Age of Uncertainty: 1

We love certainty. That the weather will be good. That our favourite author's new novel will be as good as the last. That our pension plan will still be worth something. And having suffered huge periods of uncertainty in the history of mankind, we got it together and in all fields: science, finance, medicine and health, education.....a new age of predictability dawned. Work hard, get a degree and you are 'sorted' for life'. Nasty bug? Don't worry, this antibiotic will fix it. Want security in your old age? Easy: pay this per month for n years.

The Age of Certainty ended on September 11,  2001. At the time we thought it was 'just' about lack of certainty about who and where and why the enemy was. But we hadn't realised the deeper implications of the atrocity; we were distracted from managing an increasingly complex global infrastructure and took our eye off the ball. Financial systems which weren't actually...well...systems. And fast-forward to today: uncertainty. Plenty of it. Oodles of it. 

What's to be done? Return to what can't be taken away, that which is so fundamental that it will always remain certain  and can still be used for creating success, whatever that might be for you. Here's an overview of The Seven Certainty Principles and we'll explore them further over the coming days:

1. Certainty Principle 1: Simplicity or less is more
2. Certainty Principle 2: Wisdom or mind over matter
3. Certainty Principle 3: Passion or whatever you do, do it with passion
4. Certainty Principle 4; Direction or it's not about time, it's about direction
5. Certainty Principle 5: Possibility or think outside the box
6. Certainty Principle 6: Love or all you need is love
7. Certainty Principle 7: Being or to be or not to be that is the only question