Life is churning, moving, and evolving every second. Change is the only constant. While a lot of people struggle daily to regain some semblance of control in their lives, there are some who appear to flourish in uncertainty.

Here are seven habits of highly effective people who embrace life with all its ambiguities and transform them into opportunities for growth and fulfillment.

1. Practice mindfulness – You are your biggest anchor when all around is changing. But you can seek your inner strength only if you enjoy a strong sense of self-awareness; i.e. an ability to remain in the present moment and respond to life with your totality of being. One of the best ways to hone your self-awareness is to practice the hour of power; 20 minutes of exercise, 20 minutes of meditation and 20 minutes of reading something inspiring.
2. Look at the big picture – Often in the midst of uncertainty, we become too focused on the immediate issues at hand and miss the big picture. Reminding yourself at regular intervals about the larger purpose or goal is a good way to gain perspective and bring to light inherent opportunities present in each moment.
3. Retaining flexibility – The Flux Report by Right Management conducted a study that revealed that 91% of HR directors think that by 2018, people will be recruited on their ability to deal with change and uncertainty. The smartest people learn to work with uncertainty instead of fighting or resisting it. They align themselves to the flow of life and explore all that it brings forth.
4. Take complete responsibility for your life – While circumstances might be out of our control, we always retain the right to make the choice. By continuing to blame circumstances and others for our situation in life, we are actually giving away our personal power. We are allowing others to define our experiences and subsequent decisions. Once we acknowledge this absolute power, we truly assume control of our life and realize that the only person responsible for our happiness is us. No excuses or blame games should deter us from our path.
5. Treat expectations like expectations – British scientists found that day-to-day wellbeing does not reflect how well things are going, but whether things are going better than expected. So while it’s great to have expectations and visualize a certain picture of your future, the problem starts when we start treating expectations like pre-defined outcomes. When our outcomes do not meet our expectations, disappointment sets in. Hence, the way out is to remind us to treat expectations like expectations, i.e. they might or might not come true.
6. Start small – If the change or situation is too big to handle, break down your solution into bite-sized chunks. Complete one part and then move on to the next. Keep your eyes on the goal and do not waste time on over-analyzing it.
7. Develop a good support system – Our friends, family, mentors or colleagues are our companions on this life journey. When the going gets tough, a good support system not only encourages and supports you but also helps you with advice and guidance to deal with specific problems.