Ronald L Banks 0:00
I don't know about you, but I can't be the only one who feels this way.
Ronald L Banks 0:04
Have you ever stood at the edge of a decision, not knowing if it's the right move, but feeling deep down that something needs to change? This is where I'm at mentally right now. In fact, I've been here for a while. Lately, I've been wrestling with a decision about the content I create, and after years of focusing heavily on minimalism and decluttering, I'm feeling the pull to expand beyond that. I want to share more about the lessons I'm learning in real time, beyond just simplifying life or the "how to" of simplifying life. And you know, as I reflect on the content that I've created in the past, I've shared conversations, I've shared ideas, lessons, experiences that go beyond minimalism, right? I've talked about these things before, but I kept finding myself drifting back into this box for whatever reason. Maybe it's comfort, maybe it's because I know that certain topics and certain videos are just going to perform well on my channel.
Ronald L Banks 1:16
But something else that's also true is that I've never really been the type of person to really talk about myself like that. To talk about my experiences and the lessons I'm learning or the ideas or stories that I have. You know, if you get to know me off camera in real life, I'm usually pretty quiet and observant, maybe 95% of the time, right? I'm the type of person that likes to sit there, observe, ask questions and listen, and it's a bit ironic, right? Because I talk to a camera for a living. I produce a podcast and speak into a microphone for a living, right? So that's a bit ironic, but like I said, I'm feeling the pull more and more every day to expand beyond minimalism and decluttering and connect with you through conversation and lessons that I'm learning in real time as I'm growing on my own journey.
Ronald L Banks 2:13
Now that's not to say that I'm never going to talk about minimalism or decluttering going forward, because I will. And that's because minimalism is a part of my life. It's how my wife and I are choosing to live. It's how we're raised in our family, and so it is a part of me, but I'm also more than that, and I feel like my content should also reflect more than that. But here's the thing, pivoting my content feels uncertain. It's a bit scary.
Ronald L Banks 2:46
Maybe you're feeling similar uncertainties in your own life right now, whether it's in your career or a personal decision or a big transformation that you're going through. Whatever it is, the truth is that we all face uncertainties and knowing what steps to take, when to move forward, how to move forward. Knowing what to do next can be unclear, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't take action anyway. And so today, I want to share with you some steps that I'm using to navigate this uncertainty that I'm feeling right when it comes to navigating and pivoting my content, and hopefully these steps can help you too. So let's dive in.
Ronald L Banks 3:38
Hey, my friend, welcome back to another episode of the Clarity Club. So before we talk about the two steps that I'm taking or the two ideas that make up the core message in this conversation, I want to share my thoughts on why we fear uncertainty in the first place. See when we face uncertainty, it's easy to feel overwhelmed and stuck, right? And this is because when we don't know what the outcome is going to be, we hesitate, and we end up spending a whole lot of time in our head, playing through different scenarios, playing out what could go wrong, right? And see what I'm realizing on my journey, as I'm navigating my own uncertainties, is that the real issue isn't the uncertainty itself. The real issue is that we are either unclear about what we want or we don't know what steps to take. And the latter rings true for me, and this is because I have so many ideas about the content that I want to create, how I see my content evolving and growing over time, the things that I want to build, the things that I want to produce, but what I'm struggling with, and this is where the uncertainty comes into play for me, is I'm struggling with putting one foot in front of the other, and taking that action, committing to the pivot, right? And so if this rings true for you as well. Then I want to share something with you that was a bit of an aha moment for me.
Ronald L Banks 5:05
Without clarity, uncertainty feels like an endless fog, and that fog keeps us from moving forward, right? It creates this cycle of overthinking and hesitation, and we're getting in our own way, and all of the uncertainties that build over time because of that, right? And so the only way to get out of this fog, or the only way out of this fog, is to develop clear thinking. But let me be real with you for a moment. Clear thinking doesn't mean you have to have all the answers upfront, and I believe this is the biggest mistake that so many people are making, and it's a mistake that I've made multiple times in my journey as well, thinking that I have to have all the answers up front before I could take action, before I could take the first step, before I can move forward. And that couldn't be further from the truth. Instead, clear thinking – all this means is that you know what you want without the noise of outside opinions or judgments or the fear of disappointing others. And through that, you can develop the confidence to then take the first step, regardless of how imperfect it feels.
Ronald L Banks 6:13
And so for me, I've realized that I've had to sit down and get honest with myself about, okay, well, what do I want? Well, now that I know what I want for my content, more importantly, why do I want to pivot? And then from there, I had to learn how to clear away all the what-ifs. Okay, well, what if this doesn't work out, what if it doesn't resonate? And instead, shift my focus to just what feels right, right? What feels right for me.
Ronald L Banks 6:38
You know, I'm growing and evolving on my journey in real life. And so it only makes sense, and it only feels right for my content to also reflect that growth, and for me to share those lessons with you as well. And so to help me navigate this uncertainty that I'm dealing with, I've committed to keeping two ideas at the forefront of my mind, and these are those two steps that I referenced at the beginning of this conversation. The first one is focusing on the process instead of the outcome, and the second one is embracing imperfection. So let's quickly unpack these.
Ronald L Banks 7:16
The first idea, or the first step that I'm taking, as I mentioned, is I'm shifting my focus away from the outcome and toward the process. You know, I've caught myself several times thinking, you know, what if this pivot doesn't work? What if I lose part of my audience? What if it doesn't resonate? But at the same time, I'm thinking, Well, what if it does work? What if it does resonate? And so I've realized that focusing on outcomes like these only feeds the uncertainty, because there's no way of knowing what the outcome is going to be until you take action. And so instead, I've started thinking about this pivot as an experiment, something that I'm going to explore and learn from along the way. And this shift in thinking has been so freeing for me because it's helped me realize that clarity often comes after we start taking action, not before. And by focusing on the process, I'm giving myself permission to try, to learn, and to adjust as I go.
Ronald L Banks 8:17
The second idea or the second step is probably the hardest part, and that is embracing the fact that things might not go perfectly. A lesson that I keep learning over and over and over again, and hopefully it finally sticks this time around, is this: Perfectionism is just a form of procrastination. It keeps us waiting for the "right" moment and the perfect plan, but waiting for perfection is the quickest way to stay stuck. And so instead of waiting, we have to develop the confidence to take action, even if those first few steps are messy and imperfect. We have to develop the confidence to move forward, even if we're not 100% sure on every single detail, which doesn't matter at the end of the day anyway, right? You know, as I'm exploring and navigating my own uncertainties, I keep coming back to the same theme, the same idea that clarity, the clarity we're looking for, is often found on the other side of action. And so for me, the first few steps I'm taking in this pivot are probably going to be messy, they are not going to be perfect, but it's forward progress nonetheless.
Ronald L Banks 9:43
Let's shift gears here for a brief moment because I don't want this conversation to be just about me. So if you're dealing with uncertainty right now, I want to put you on to a simple exercise that you can try to help you get unstuck. And what I want you to do is I want you to take 10 minutes today to write down your answers to these questions. What do I want? What's holding me back, and what small step can I take today, even if it's messy or imperfect. And I want you to write without editing or second-guessing yourself, right? The goal isn't to get it perfect. The goal is to get clear and get moving.
Ronald L Banks:Here's the beautiful thing about taking that first step, regardless if it's pivoting the content you create or navigating uncertainties and changes in your career or your personal life. Taking that first step brings relief. You'll feel a weight lifted just by knowing that you tried. And once you start moving right, that initial relief will often turn into excitement, and that is excitement about the possibilities, excitement about building momentum. And most importantly, you'll begin to feel hope, because every step forward, no matter how small, no matter how imperfect, no matter how messy, alright, is still progress.
Ronald L Banks:And fun fact for you, this conversation you're listening to right now is my first step in this new direction. I'm navigating my uncertainties in real time right here with you, and like I said, these first few steps might be a little messy. They're definitely not going to be perfect, but just by getting this out, I now feel the relief of getting started and the excitement of what's to come next. Keep growing your journey, my friend, keep learning and always remember to stay true to you, because I'm always staying true to me. I'll see you next time. Peace!