Find Calm in Chaos - Insights From a Motivational Speaker

Certainty Anchors: Finding Calm in a Stormy World
Based on Jonathan Fields’ Good Life Project reading from March 16, 2017

Uncertainty is the new normal.

We live in a time where unpredictability is baked into the system—economically, socially, even emotionally. But in the face of chaos, author and speaker Jonathan Fields offers a powerful idea to help you stay grounded: certainty anchors.

In his Good Life Project podcast episode, Fields reads from his book and explores the role of rituals and routines—not just as productivity hacks, but as deep emotional stabilizers. He shares how these practices can help us not just survive, but thrive in uncertain environments.

The Hidden Strength of Rituals

“From the dawn of religion,” Fields says, “everything has been built around not just scripture, not just community, but ritual.”

He highlights how faith traditions across the world—from Buddhist chanting to Muslim daily prayers, from Christian communion to Jewish Sabbath observance—all center around repeated, intentional practices. These rituals offer more than spiritual comfort; they offer emotional structure.

But what happens when you remove the belief system and leave just the ritual? Interestingly, Fields argues, the grounding power often remains. Even without spiritual meaning, the act of ritual—done regularly and with intention—can become a powerful emotional anchor.

What Exactly Is a Certainty Anchor?

Fields defines it simply:

“A certainty anchor is a practice or process that adds something known and reliable to your life when you may otherwise feel you are spinning off in a million different directions.”

These anchors can be as small as making your bed every morning, journaling with a cup of tea, or taking the same morning walk. The magic lies not in the complexity of the ritual, but in its consistency.

In times of flux, these simple routines give you something fixed. Something to count on. Something solid to touch when everything else feels slippery.

The Brain Science of Ritual

There’s real cognitive benefit to ritual. When we repeat actions until they become habits, we shift them from the frontal cortex (which requires active decision-making and consumes mental energy) to the more automatic regions of the brain.

This frees up your mental bandwidth—giving you more space and energy to navigate uncertainty and complexity elsewhere in your life.

Put simply: rituals reduce friction. They give your brain a break from constantly asking, “What now?” and let it say, “I know what comes next.”

Creativity and Structure: Strange Bedfellows?

Fields shares a fascinating insight from Joe Fig’s Inside the Painter’s Studio. Many artists—people we associate with spontaneity and freedom—actually cling to rigid routines. Why? Because the uncertainty of creativity is so high, they need something stable to hold onto.

Some artists structure their day down to the minute, following the same sequence every day, 7 days a week. It's not boring—it's liberating. It gives their creative selves a sturdy framework to dance within.

Can Anything Become a Certainty Anchor?

Yes. And that’s the beauty of this idea.

Fields challenges us to take anything we already do semi-regularly and ritualize it. The goal is to repeat it so consistently that it becomes a psychological handrail—something you can grip when life feels like a slippery staircase.

You’re not trying to create rigid schedules for their own sake. You’re crafting psychological scaffolding—habits that hold you up so you can move through a stormy world with more steadiness and strength.

Small Rituals, Big Impact

In a world that often feels groundless, Fields reminds us that we can build our own ground. We have the ability to insert structure into our days—not to control the uncontrollable, but to create an internal sense of control.

Rituals won’t solve every problem. They won’t make the world less chaotic. But they can make you feel more capable of meeting that chaos with grace.

So whether it’s lighting a candle, writing three lines in a journal, walking the same path each morning, or brewing a cup of tea the same way each night—find your anchors.

Plant them deep. Return to them often.

Because calm isn’t found—it’s built.

Want help building your own certainty anchors? Start small. Repeat often. And trust that you’re creating not just a routine—but a refuge.