Navigate uncertain times with this foolproof coping mechanism

The opinions expressed by entrepreneurs contributors are their own.

These days, you may feel like the world you used to know is slipping away from you. As if you had less control than before and that events far greater than you were diverting your life in directions you never imagined.

Its good. We are all going through the same turbulent journey together. We are all in a giant lifeboat in this great adventure called life. These are truly unprecedented times between a generational pandemic, war in Europe, runaway inflation, scary talk about recession. But that's when really strong people are built. When everything outside seems out of control, it's important to realize that the only thing they can truly control is ourselves. Once we understand this unchanging truth, we begin to calm down and see that going with the flow is the best way to deal with the outside world.

What is "go with the flow"? Is it a hippie term or a feel-good mantra? Nope! Going with the flow simply means separating what is in your control from what is not, and letting the uncontrollable unfold without judgment or effort on our part.

Guess what? It's actually the most liberating thing in the world to know that the world is immutably chaotic. As Frank Herbert said so well: “The mystery of life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced. Imagine how boring life would be if it was already completely mapped out for us and we followed a set storyline like a character in a video game?

Here are some concrete ways to implement the current in your life today.

Related: Entrepreneurship often involves uncertainty. Here's how to handle it productively.

1. Control what you can control

Going with the flow allows us to stay in the present moment and separate the essential from the non-essential.

The best way to stay centered and flowing in our daily lives is through a two-step questioning process.

Is it something that is under my control? (this question filters the changeable from the immutable) What can I do now to improve this situation? (if it's under your control)

I've found that asking yourself guiding questions during the day is the most effective way to stay calm, focused, and unwavering in the face of the thousands of thoughts and decisions that come our way every day.

Real progress comes from mastering the variables under our control. It is impossible to understand the time we spend worrying and poring over fictitious mental situations, trying to solve the unsolvable.

By focusing only on what we can control and letting go of the rest, we give ourselves the freedom and space to tap into our maximum potential.

2. Plan and then relax about the future

As humans, we have a supernatural gift for unconsciously locating our happiness in an imaginary moment in the future. Guess what? Our future is shaped solely by what we do now. In the present moment.

Once we get stronger to go with the flow, the future doesn't seem so scary because we live firmly in the moment.

It is certainly important to plan the milestones we want to achieve in the future, but if our happiness is always tied to another place and another time, we will never be truly fulfilled.

Enjoy the things that really matter today, like your health, your relationships, and the meaning of your work.

Related: The 1 Thing You Need to Control to Succeed

3. Savor the moment

Former NFL linebacker Matt Mayberry