How to Walk Boldly Into the Unknown and The Extraordinary

Craig Stanland
5 min readSep 19, 2022

You do the same thing every day, every week, and get the same results, every day and every week.

You have a routine. The routine is safe, it’s certain, it’s like a cozy blanket wrapped around you, and it’s working for you.

But is it? Is your routine driving to the life you want to live, or is it keeping you cozy in the status quo?

Your status quo gets you through the day, but it doesn’t fulfill you. It doesn’t give you a sense of meaning and purpose; it doesn’t give you joy.

You want to step out of the status quo and into something new — something that’s going to give you everything you desire.

Only one problem: Stepping out of the comfort of your status quo means stepping into the unknown.

And the unknown can be terrifying.

But if you want purpose, passion, fulfillment, and meaning, you’re going to have to step out of the status quo and venture into the unknown.

It’s inevitable.

Everything you want is on the other side of everything you fear.

How do you walk courageously into the unknown?

Clarity:

If you don’t know what you’d like to create, you’re only adding to the uncertainty you’re experiencing. You’re adding to the unknown.

Knowing where you’re going is empowering, and clarity is how you do that.

When you get crystal clear clarity, you can design the blueprint to get you there.

4 Questions to Ask Yourself to Gain Clarity:

  • What brings me joy?
  • What do I want more of in life?
  • What do I want less of in my life?
  • If I could snap my fingers and have anything I want, what would that be?

In Your Control/Out of Your Control:

Establish what is in your control and what is out of your control is essential to stepping into the unknown.

In Your Control: Your time, energy, and attention are your most precious resources. So you want to focus them accordingly.

Craig Stanland

I write about my journey from corporate success to federal prison and finding joy, mission, meaning, and fulfillment beyond professional and financial success.