These words from mathematician, John Allen Paulos seem particularly on point these days. The truth is uncertainty has been part of the human condition since the dawn of time, and in some respects part of the adventure of life.

Minnesotans are facing a great deal of uncertainty now more than ever. Between the plummeting price of oil and the long-lasting effects of Corona Virus on our Tourism industry, our small businesses are bracing themselves psychologically and literally for what could be a tough slog ahead.  It’s been tough and it could get tougher.

The irony is that often the LITERAL is the result of the psychological… so it may only get tougher if we LET IT.  We hear phrases like consumer SENTIMENT to indicate market trends. Sentiment is nothing more than the manifestation of an emotional/psychological aspect of human behavior. Some is positive. Some is negative.

When distilled to its very essence, our decisions in business are often driven by F.E.A.R. (False Evidence Appearing Real). Fear of going broke. Fear of missing out on an opportunity.  Fear of making a mistake that will come back to haunt us. The list is endless.

But what this really says about the human mind is that when you are fearful of the unknown what you are really saying is that you are uncertain about YOUR ability to chart your course as you imagine it.  Nothing could be truer in business.

This post COVID-19 world represents uncharted waters for Minnesota.  We don’t have a precise playbook to follow. Nobody does. This said, Minnesotans are bold frontier seekers and explorers.  We would not be here if weren’t.  We are a resilient, independent bunch.  We need to view this time in history as a new horizon to conquer. Our challenges do not define us, but overcoming these challenges often do define our capabilities.

Boldness tempered by strategic logic and thoughtfulness combined with sound execution usually lead to the results we seek.