• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Masters Advisors

  • About Us
  • Our Approach
  • Our Services
  • Corporate
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Client Log-in
Client Log-in Contact Us

The Master’s Minute

Helpful Tools and Tips

The Master’s Minute – The Need for Clarity and Anticipation

February 2, 2021 by Garrison R. North

People naturally crave certainty. We want to know what will happen, when it will happen and how it will affect us. While we all require different levels of certainty to be productive, we are all affected negatively by uncertainty. Uncertainty can cause higher levels of stress and impede our decision-making process.
The reality is that uncertainty is part of life. We can never know what will come next and how it will affect us, but what we can know is how we will react when uncertainty comes into our lives. We can prepare ourselves ahead of time without knowing what will come.

Clarity and anticipation can be antidotes for uncertainty. They will not cure all our anxieties or worries and will not shield us from negative, unpredictable events, but they can help us feel more prepared for the events that will happen that are out of our control. To gain clarity when setting goals, we must first confront and accept reality by looking at our current situation and analyzing it objectively. From that vantage point, we can gain a better understanding of where we are trying to go, what might get in the way and how we need to react when we face obstacles and opportunities.

Think about a child learning to ride a bike, an activity with a clearly defined goal that requires perseverance to achieve. The child (and the parent!) must first anticipate the reality that the child will probably crash at some point and could be injured. My Dad experienced this firsthand when I crashed headfirst into his recently washed, brand new car as I struggled mightily to navigate my way around our cul-de-sac! Even though a crash is painful and disappointing, preparing for its probability makes it easier to handle when it happens. Having the clearly defined goal of learning how to ride a bike and anticipating what might happen during the learning process are the keys to the child persevering and gaining bike-riding mastery.

As you think about your goals for 2021, pursue clarity and anticipation to combat uncertainty, with the following steps as a guide:

  1. Define Your Goal – What do you want to accomplish?
  2.  Confront Reality – Where am I today and what could help or hurt my progress?
  3. Persevere Through Obstacles – Overcome the challenges because you anticipated them!
  4. Focus on What You Control – How can you act to positively affect an uncertain situation?
  5. Learn and Adjust – Update your process to set and achieve your goals.

How can clarity and anticipation help you achieve a goal this year?

Filed Under: Master's Minute

Primary Sidebar

Categories

  • Behavioral Finance
  • Blog
  • Client Service
  • Current Newsletters
  • Faith Integration
  • Financial Planning
  • General
  • Investing
  • Market + Industry
  • Master's Minute
  • Master's News
  • Personal Development
  • Strategy
  • What's the Point?

Search Blog

Archives

Footer

Receive Master’s Minute Blog Articles Today

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

480 New Holland Ave
Suite 7201
Lancaster, PA 17602

  • 
  • 

Contact Us

Albridge log in | Client log in

© 2023 Master’s Advisors • Developed by TinyFrog • Important Disclosures | Privacy Policy

Securities offered through Securities America Inc., member FINRA/SIPC. Master's Advisors is not affiliated with the Securities America companies. Advisory services offered through Securities America Advisors, Inc. This site is published for residents of the United States and is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security or product that may be referenced herein. Persons mentioned on this website may only offer services and transact business and/or respond to inquiries in states or jurisdictions in which they have been properly registered or are exempt from registration. Not all products and services referenced on this site are available in every state, jurisdiction or from every person listed. This communication is strictly intended for individuals residing in the states of CO, DE, FL, IL, IN, KY, MD, ME, NC, NE, NJ, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WV, WY. No offers may be made or accepted from any resident outside the specific state(s) referenced. PLEASE NOTE: The information being provided is strictly as a courtesy. When you link to any of the websites provided here, you are leaving this website. We make no representation as to the completeness or accuracy of information provided at these websites. The company is not liable for any direct or indirect technical or system issues or any consequences arising out of your access to or your use of third party technologies,  websites, information, and programs made available through this website. When you access one of these websites, you are leaving our website and assume total responsibility and risk for your use of the websites you are linking to. All images and Content Copyright © 2020 Masters Advisors, Inc. Securities America and its representatives do not provide tax or legal advice; therefore it is important to coordinate with your tax or legal advisor regarding your specific situation.

Securities America Form CRS

Check the background of this firm on FINRA's BrokerCheck.