Clarity doesn't come from thinking - it comes from doing.
51% certainty is enough to start something great.
The theme of feeling lost in life and searching for clarity came up after a recent coaching session. It was strikingly similar to several others, because the same dilemma keeps repeating: “I don’t know what to do next.”
The client - an experienced entrepreneur with a broad perspective, someone who’s seen it all, the highs and the lows. (Yes, even people like that feel stuck... just like you, just like me.) Even though he had made countless important decisions in his life, this time everything felt too complex, too risky, too uncertain. He was searching for that one “right” answer, but the more he thought about it, the more tangled it all became. It was yet another reminder that this “I don’t know what to do next” syndrome doesn’t spare even those with vast experience.
Getting stuck is deeply human.
Our minds crave certainty. We want control, guaranteed outcomes. We hope that things will just fall into place and somehow work out. But life doesn’t hand clarity to us on a silver platter. There’s a price to pay - and more clarity is earned by those who seek it, who take action. And even then, very little is ever 100% clear. We can’t be completely certain, because the whole picture is never fully knowable.
And that’s actually beautiful - it leaves room for wonder and awe. Yes, awe, not expectation.
Then it becomes easier to observe clarity as it grows - instead of chasing 100% certainty, 51% is enough. Just a slight edge of clarity toward one direction or another.
We get so attached to the idea that we must make “the one right” decision, that in the end - we make none at all.
During the session, one important insight stood out: when clarity is missing, it’s enough to begin with the smallest decision you can make. We’ve all done this hundreds of times - you don’t need to see the whole path. Just the first few steps are enough. Once you take them, momentum follows.
So, how can this be applied in real life?
When you feel lost, I invite you to ask yourself:
What’s the smallest action that could help me move forward?
What can I try to see what works (and what doesn’t)?
What would a “first step” look like today - one I can take without waiting for the perfect time? (Just a reminder - there’s always a way to make it even “more perfect.”)
Maybe it’s worth turning this into an experiment?
Simply realizing that you can just try - without committing forever - gives you more freedom to act.
Most big changes don’t start with perfectly defined strategies or ambitious, ever-adjusting plans. They begin with small, consistent actions. The good news? You only need to commit to today. Because tomorrow? When it arrives - it’ll just be today again. 😉
Personal examples
I remember a time when I felt completely lost about the next direction in my career. The more I tried to think my way into the “right” answer, the more pressure I felt. And here we go again - the classic story: The shift happened when I decided to take small steps, without any guaranteed outcome. I chose to simply let my closest circle know that I was ready for a change - that I wanted something to shift. Then, I started writing about it on my blog - just putting thoughts out there. That slowly turned into sharing ideas through talks and small events, which led to new connections.
And those connections? They became the first signs that this “experiment” was starting to bear fruit - I began getting coaching session requests from people outside my inner circle.
The irony? Clarity didn’t come when I had it all figured out. It came when I started moving.
Another example - my irrational fear of calling strangers who had shown interest in my content and responded to an invitation to talk about potential collaboration. Written communication felt very unfamiliar to me and seemed like a long, drawn-out process. So, I decided to switch to phone calls to quickly figure out how “in sync” we’d be working together. Even when I just needed basic information, I would delay the call until the very last minute. It felt like I had to be perfectly prepared, and I’d get nervous, fearing I’d say something foolish or less understandable.
One day, I decided enough was enough - I wouldn’t come up with anything until I actually made the call. I set a 3-second rule: if I thought about making a call, I had to do it within three seconds before my mind could start making excuses. (You know, it's like when you drop a sandwich, and you have to pick it up within 3 seconds, or the bacteria start sticking.)
The result? After the first call, I realized it wasn’t actually that scary. After a few more actions like that, the fear diminished even further.
Clarity didn’t come from thinking - it came from doing.
It always works like that. Just like with running: first one step, then another, by the third you’re picking up speed, and eventually - you’re running on paths you once tried to avoid.
I’m not saying it’s all easy. Yes, there are nuances. But just like that, there are things you can start doing right away.
What could you do right now?
If you're feeling that sense of confusion right now, I’m sure you can take one small step today.
Maybe it’s just a call or message to set up a meeting with that person?
Maybe it’s setting a time to take action and get started within the “3-second” rule?
We all have our own push to get things moving, and no one else will give us that push. Everyone’s caught up in searching for their own pushes.
Just do it.
Just Do It. (Not necessarily an ad, even though I do like both Nike and their slogan, even knowing where it originated from.)
And if you’d like to share your thoughts - feel free to leave a comment.
What small step are you planning to take in the upcoming week?