Sifting Through Chaos

For better or worse, chaos is a constant. A lot happens during chaotic moments. Tensions rise. Decisions are made. Consequences are felt. These moments are pretty important junctures, with impact that far outweighs the many mundane points in a day. As such, improving your relationship with chaos can be significant.

Travelling is a surefire way to expose yourself to a fair share of stressful instances.

Ankles will be sprained on the eve of a hike. Your ride will cancel for no apparent reason. Many crucial details will be lost in translation. Important items will be left somewhere, never to be seen again. You’ll have ten rooms you need to book, and another twenty buses and trains. Thirty unopened message sit in your inbox. You realise you can never get all the seemingly necessary work finished. Time will tick away.

Either way, you make a choice. Inaction is still an action. Perhaps the easiest one, when life feels like a blur. Sifting through the endless choices is daunting, but I’d argue—an incredibly useful, trainable skill. The only way to improve at facing chaos, adversity, confusion, stress—whatever it is—is to put yourself in more of those positions.

Chaos can be an immense opportunity. You can still touch the bottom of even the murkiest waters. For me, the best strategy I’ve found is to just dip my toe in. Take one action, be it pitifully small, and commit to seeing what happens. Chances are that making a tiny decision fares better than deciding on nothing at all.