The Benefits Of Accepting What You Cannot Control

We all have moments in our lives when we feel like things are out of control.

From sudden traumatic events that change the course of our day to everyday conflicts with colleagues, there’s no avoiding the feeling of being overwhelmed.

While we can’t always control what happens to us, we can control how we react to these issues.

Instead of reacting against these situations and allowing them to take hold over us, accepting what we cannot control might be one of the best strategies for a healthy mind and overall well-being. That's why here we'll explore the benefits of accepting what you cannot control.

The Benefits Of Accepting What You Cannot Control

The following tips will help you release stress from your life and help you focus on things that make you more productive.

1. You'll Be Able To Think Past The Problems

Life is unpredictable, and things tend to not go the way we plan the - if you can accept this then you'll be able to take charge of your reactions.

By letting go and not trying to fight against a situation, you can begin to observe it with more clarity.

For instance, suppose you're a marketer and have come up with some social media marketing strategies. Now after putting those marketing strategies into action, you realize that they have failed.

Instead of panicking and trying to make changes to it, calmly accept what has happened. Just accept that those strategies didn't work, and find out what went wrong. And then sit down with your team and come up with a better plan.

This kind of detachment allows you to create distance between the situation and yourself so that you can better analyze it and make wiser choices about how to handle it.

2. You'll Be Ready To Take Risks

We fear taking risks because there is uncertainty associated with it. We don't know what the outcome might be and that's what creates fear within us.

But taking risks is important, especially for entrepreneurs who want to grow their businesses. If you want to move forward and make progress, then you must be ready to take risks.

You can take the example of Microsoft. If Satya Nadella hadn't taken the risk to embrace cloud computing when he took over, Microsoft would not have become the company it is today. The company relied on its on-premise servers which affected its ability to provide its services on mobile.

Once it shifted to cloud computing, Microsoft was able to amp up its offering to more smart devices. It was a success for Microsoft but it could have backfired too. So that was a risk that Mr. Nadella had to take.

Risks are the path to moving forward. If you don't take risks you won't know what will work out for you and what not. But you won't be able to take risks until and unless you accept that the outcome might not be in your favor and that you can't control it.

So to take risks, you need to believe that some things are beyond your control.

3. You Learn To Live In the Moment

When you let go of trying to control situations, you can focus on the present moment.

This helps you detach from all the stress and worries of what may or may not happen in the future and instead look at what is happening right now.

It allows you to be more mindful of your thoughts and feelings, so you can make decisions based on what's important to you, rather than worrying about the future.

Living in the present means you get to enjoy the moment, appreciate what you have, and make conscious choices.

4. Acceptance Helps Us Understand Ourselves Better

We don't really understand ourselves until we come to terms with the fact that there are some things in life that cannot be changed.

Accepting these realities helps us make peace with ourselves and our lives. If you know yourself, you'd be able to see yourself without any illusions and become aware of your weaknesses, strengths, and limitations.

You'd know how you'd react in certain situations and develop the courage to adjust your behavior in order to become a better person.

For instance, you may come to realize that you have a tendency to micromanage your team members or colleagues, which can sometimes hinder their growth and productivity. Instead of trying to change this aspect of your personality, you can learn to accept it as a part of who you are. But you can still work around this tendency.

Focus on hiring a strong team that can operate independently. Delegate tasks to them, and empower them to take ownership of their work. By doing so, you not only gain a deeper understanding of your limitations as a leader but also create a positive work environment where your team members feel trusted and valued.

Overall, by accepting your weaknesses and learning to work around them, you are becoming a better leader and setting the stage for your team's success.

5. It Teaches Us To Trust

In case of situations when you know things are beyond your control you learn to trust. For example, you're an HR manager and you've done several interviews and chosen a candidate. Now based on that candidate's skills and attitude, you'll have to trust that he'll perform his duties well.

But what if he doesn't perform well, you can't keep an eye on him all the time, right?

So then, what do you do? Do you reject the candidate based on something that might happen in the future which isn't in your control or trust him and give him a chance now?

What's gonna happen in the future isn't in your control but hiring that candidate now is. So you need to trust that the choice you make will work out for the best especially when we live in a work where you have to trust your remote employees who could be on the other side of the world.

Acceptance teaches us to trust ourselves and others.

Gain more self-control by accepting the things you can't control

Acceptance doesn't mean you're giving up and it's not a sign of weakness. It's an act of courage which allows us to make better choices.

It helps us detach from difficult situations, take risks, live in the present, and trust ourselves and others. So make sure you practice acceptance in your daily life and enjoy the freedom it brings. You'll try new things, let go when your desires don't pan out, and find adventures you might have never thought possible.