Jump First, Figure It Out Later: Confronting Uncertainty as a Superpower

Let me take you back to a moment that changed my life.

I was 20 years old, halfway through an engineering degree I wasn’t sure I wanted, and standing at a fork in the road. The “safe” path was clear: stay in school, stay on track, and don’t do anything crazy. But there was another path—uncertain, risky, uncomfortable.

In the summer of 1998, I had a chance to work in the salmon industry in Alaska.

This was definitely not a scenic vacation. A real, dirty job. A loud, back-breaking job in a salmon cannery. My parents were rightfully concerned. At that point, I had never traveled solo, never taken that kind of leap. But something inside me said:

You have to do this.

That trip wasn’t about fish. It was about freedom. It was the first time I chose discomfort over default. And it became a defining moment for how I live my life.

The Book That Sparked It All

While working in that noisy cannery, I started reading Shogun by James Clavell—a novel about feudal Japan, the samurai code, and the warrior’s path. It wasn’t just a story; it was a mirror. A reflection of cravings within my mind, body and spirit.

The pages of that book romanticized: discipline, purpose and alignment between belief and action.

You ever feel something right in your gut? The book combined with the distance from home hit me hard. I didn’t want a life of drifting or decisions by default. I wanted a mission—a code that would shape how I lived, no matter how chaotic the world around me became.

Only in hindsight I have come to realize: The ability to jump into uncertainty—willingly, consistently—can be a superpower.

Christine Whelan and the Power of “Do It Anyway”

I’ve recently been revisiting Christine Whelan’s philosophy of “Do It Anyway.” She reminds us that no one is ever fully ready. The stars don’t align. The timing isn’t perfect. But purpose-driven people act anyway.

You don’t wait for the fear to go away. You jump—and build wings on the way down.

That trip to Alaska was my first jump.

Starting a martial arts journey was another.

Opening a fitness studio, shifting into coaching, writing these posts, sending daily emails—all of it has been a process of jumping before I felt ready.

Why This Matters (To You and Me)

I write every day not because it’s easy, but because I’ve trained myself to know when it’s time to take action through discomfort.

You know growth isn’t found in perfect plans. It’s found in the jump.

In the uncertainty and discomfort. In the commitment to show up even when it’s messy.

Consistency isn’t a gift. It’s a muscle. One that gets stronger every time you choose progress over perfection.

And if you’re reading this, it’s probably because there’s a part of you that knows you need to jump too.

The Path Forward

It could be a project you’ve been sitting on.

A habit you know you need to start.

A conversation you’re not looking forward to having.

The specifics don’t matter. The principle does.

If you wait for certainty, you’ll be waiting forever.

However, if you embrace the jump, you’ll begin building a superpower that will serve you in every area of life—your health, your wealth, your relationships, your personal growth.

This is the foundation of my life’s work and why I’ll always keep showing up.

What’s your “Alaska” moment?

What leap are you avoiding because it’s uncomfortable?

Let’s build that jump muscle together.