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Smart, accomplished adults freeze when the rules of the game change. Dr. John Austin spent 20 years figuring out why, and he built a framework for navigating the unknown and conquering uncertainty. 

In this episode we hear from Dr. Austin, Dean of the Honors College, PD Merrill Endowed Chair of Business at the University of New England, and author of the book "Certain About Uncertainty". 

This is a conversation built for anyone navigating midlife, mid-career change, or the kind of season where the ground keeps shifting under your feet. If you've ever looked at your younger self and wondered where all that confidence went, this one's for you. Spoiler: you didn't lose it. You can rebuild it. 

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN:

• Why uncertainty is NOT the same as risk (and why confusing them costs you) 
• The fog metaphor that reframes how you face the unknown 
• Why 8-year-olds don't fear uncertainty — but most adults do 
• The "expert trap" and why expertise can make you LESS adaptive 
• The Uncertainty Intelligence Framework: See, React, Prepare 
• The Backward-Forward Flip: a simple exercise that reveals your blind spots 
• Two habits you can start this week to build real uncertainty intelligence

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Resources from This Episode: 

Certain About Uncertainty, by John Austin: https://urlgeni.us/amzn/utxw8

As an Amazon Partner, our podcast earns from qualified purchases at no extra cost to you. 

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⭐ Want to be a guest on The Cluttered Path? Send Todd Carswell a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/toddcarswell 

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🎯 About John Austin, PhD

John Austin is dean of the Honors College and the P.D. Merrill Endowed Chair of Business at the University of New England. A researcher, educator, and executive development leader, he has spent more than two decades teaching professionals how to lead and make decisions in uncertain environments.  

🌍 Learn more:

https://certain-about-uncertainty.com/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnaustinphd/ 

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📫  Where to Find Us:

Web: https://clutteredpath.com/
Patreon: https://patreon.com/clutteredpath
Questions/Comments:  [email protected] 
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