Chapter 45: How To Deal With An Uncertain Future

You feel it, don’t you?

That quiet anxiety humming under everything?

Like the world’s moving faster than you can keep up?

AI’s rewriting the economy.
Politics are polarizing the world.
And no one agrees on what’s real anymore.

What a time to be alive.

Today’s letter will provide a simple outline to help you combat the uncertainty.

1. Accept Reality

The world is changing faster than most people can handle.

Old systems are breaking down — but most are still pretending everything’s fine.

So it’s up to you.

Ignore it and get left behind, or adapt and find opportunity in the uncertainty.

Because if you’re willing to move differently, there’s plenty of open space ahead.

2. Take Extreme Ownership

Be honest with yourself.

Is the path you’re on taking you where you want to go?

If your health, knowledge, or finances aren’t where you want them to be — no one’s coming to save you.

Not your boss.
Not the government.
Not your friends or family.

It’s on you. Which is good news.
This means you can do something about it.

3. Prioritize Risk

Playing it safe is no longer safe.

You can’t be passive in a time of massive change.

The best way to stay relevant is to experiment faster than everything around you changes.

You don’t need to bet the house.

But you do need to take calculated risks.

4. Become Comfortable in Your Own Skin

Most people hate what they see in the mirror.

They’re afraid of looking stupid and stress over what others think.

But if you want to thrive in uncertain times, you need to be comfortable in your own skin.

If you’re out of shape — train.
If you’re scared of people — talk to a stranger every day.
If you feel lost — pick a project that forces you to learn.

Growth isn’t glamorous.
It’s facing discomfort until it stops scaring you.

5. Realize There Are No Rules

Yes, there are laws.
But most of the “rules” you follow are fake.

Here are the 3 levels of living:

Level 1: Follow Orders. The default. You do what you’re told, believe what you’re taught, and outsource your thinking.

Level 2: Question Everything. Usually triggered by pain (a breakup, a layoff, a loss.) You wake up one day and start asking better questions.

Level 3: Make Your Own Rules. The breakthrough. You realize everyone’s winging it. You stop following blueprints and start designing your own.

Level 3 is fun. Do everything possible to get there ASAP.

6. Stop Consuming. Start Creating.

If you mindlessly scroll social media every day, quitting this one habit will drastically improve your life.

Funnel that time into an act of creation.

Pick anything — write, build, design, code — and share it.

Creation will teach you more about yourself than anything else.

7. Have a Mission

Without a mission, uncertainty will eat you alive.

You need a “why” that’s bigger than comfort.

Something that keeps you moving when the path isn’t clear.

For me, it’s simple:

To live up to my potential, share what I’ve learned along the way, and be proof for my younger self that it’s possible to build your own path.

Whatever yours is, find it.

Because when the mission is clear, motivation is irrelevant.

8. Find Your Tribe

Uncertainty is easier when you stop facing it alone.

Surround yourself with others building, experimenting, and refusing to accept the default path.

The world rewards independent thinkers, but even the most independent need people in their corner.

“If you want to fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”

Wrapping Up

I’ll leave you with a quote from Alan Watts:

“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.”

What a time to be alive.

I hope this helps.

Rooting for ya.
— Dodds