Repeat after me…

I don’t know.

How does it feel to say those three words out loud?

If they make you anxious or concerned, that’s natural. As a society, we associate not knowing with something that can and should be remedied. But in reality, the more comfortable you are with not knowing, the easier your life tends to become.

We are all certainty-seeking machines living in an uncertain world.

As Ben Franklin is quoted as saying, “In this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes.” 

Getting more comfortable with “I don’t know” doesn’t mean giving up or giving in. Instead, it means you’ve acknowledged that most of life is uncertain and largely out of your control. 

This recognition is ultimately what sets you free. Free of thinking you can have it all figured out and free from the delusion that certainty lies just around the corner. It’s also in this freedom that you can begin to focus on the limited things you do know and that which you can control.

You can then build a life that prioritizes the flexibility that allows you to adapt and adjust when the unknown occurs. One of my favorite quotes from Carl Richards in describing the work of real financial planners is:

“We are guides in an ever-changing landscape, not defenders of an outdated map.”

We must start by acknowledging that we don’t know what the future holds and that our best laid plans will need to be adjusted. When you can build a life that accepts this reality, you’ll be much better prepared no matter what the future holds. And that’s the true power of getting more comfortable with learning to say, “I don’t know.”