I Don’t Know…Or Do You Know?

“I don’t know.” It’s a phrase we hear a lot and probably say often. It rolls off the tongue with ease when it’s something simple.

• “Where are my socks?” I don’t know.
• “What is the weather going to be like tomorrow?” I don’t know
• “What was the score?” I don’t know
• “What should I wear?” I don’t know

When it’s the answer to a question we are asking about our lives, however, it can be a bit more difficult.

• Where do I go from here? I don’t know
• What should my next career move be? I don’t know
• Why am I so miserable? I don’t know
• What is my reason for being? I don’t know

That feeling of limbo, the uncertainty of next steps, it’s a tough place to be. It’s like taking a trip without a map. Do I turn right or left? And the weight of even that next little decision seems daunting.

I have definitely been there myself. I can think back to times when I ultimately left a job or a marriage, started a new business. In fact, it seems that I rarely traversed a major life-event without some amount of “I don’t know.”

It can feel awful but, I believe that reaching these plateaus is a normal part of life. It’s the catalyst to the self-exploration that generates transformation or growth.

We live in such fast-paced world where instant gratification is the norm. We feel like we must be doing and achieving all of the time. As an alternative, I ask my clients to think of the plateau as a cocoon phase where the only action is the exploration. It’s the time to sit back, practice patience, think and listen to your heart. Drown out the noise. Avoid the input from others. Pray, if that is in your belief system. Prepare yourself for the big metamorphosis ahead.

And then when you do KNOW, move. Don’t let the fear set in. We can sit perched on the border of that next life decision stuck at ‘what if I’m not ready?”, “what if I fail?”, “what will people think?”.

Sometimes, when you do KNOW, you just have to take that leap of faith and figure it all out as you go. You only need to KNOW your first step. Figure the next one out after that, then the next and then the next. Once you are moving you get momentum and that’s where the true fun begins!

Are you stuck at a plateau and envying the people whose lives appear so joyful and fulfilling? I guarantee you that their journey began with that same answer to a question about life, “I don’t know.” When they hit that place they sat quietly with patience to think, listen and pray. And then, with courage and tenacity, stepped out transformed, to take the first step, then the next and then the next.

You see, you can have it too! Maybe you still “don’t know.” Or maybe you KNOW but are stuck in fear or think you haven’t gotten all figured out. Like that great Nike quote says, “Just Do It!” Take that first step, then the next and then the next. You’ll get there!