I had a conversation with a special someone recently, and it made me wonder and question: When the answers aren't clear, what do you do, especially when you desperately want it to work out and know the how?

Have you ever wished you had a crystal ball or someone omniscient who could just tell you what the answer is, what your next move should be and whether something would work out or not?

Welcome to the world of adulting

We don't have someone giving us all the answers anymore. We're required to think for ourselves and be responsible for our own actions and consequences. Plus, the older you get, you also realized those same “adults” don't have all the “right” answers for you either. Well, they will give you “answers”, but are they really helpful or properly tailored toward your situation? Can you absolutely trust the advice you get will give you the results you desire?

We're all doing the best we can with what we have and know at this moment. You can only live in the present as you can only take action at this moment in time. You can't change the past, and you don't know the future.

Living in the past creates regret. Living in the future creates anxiety. Neither of those will help you move forward unless you choose to learn from the past and be inspired by the future.

Both of these require action.

Action creates clarity

“Imperfect action is better than inaction.”
–Amy Porterfield

You have to take some sort of action. It's better to have it be imperfect than none at all. Rally the courage to face the fears, doubts, and unknowns that are in your way. Avoidance doesn't bring you answers. Eventually, the discomfort of the snowballing issues will blow up in your face.

It's ok if you don't know the exact how or the right way to approach it. Continual action will eventually reveal answers. You get a result, then tweak accordingly until you get what you desire.

Think outside of the box

You cannot think through a problem by being in the same state as when the problem appeared, nor repeating the same scenario over and over again to give you different results.

You have to grow. You have to think differently. Get help when you need it. You don't have to work through a problem on your own. Never feel like you're alone in the situation. There are plenty of people out there who can relate or at least be a source of comfort to help you through it.

You can always temporarily remove yourself from the situation to clear your mind and reset your emotional state. That pause can be more effective than continually trading blows.

Focus on your desired outcome

Think back to the bigger picture or the greater vision you desire. Refocus back on that, and discover an approach from there. 

I find it helpful to hold onto the vision of what I want, then take action from there as if it were already my reality. Yah, this'll take some practice. But don't you agree that it feels better to approach life from a sense of curious possibilities rather than doomed impossibilities? You have the power to make the belief in your vision so much stronger than your worries and concerns. It's purely a matter of where you're choosing to place your focus.

So when the answers aren't clear, (1) just start taking action, (2) think outside of the box, and (3) focus on your desired outcome. Eventually, the answers will reveal themselves to you.

 

Everything is figureoutable*

 

P.S. The origin of that awesome sign off phrase(*) is from Marie Forleo. I highly recommend her book named exactly that. Click here to find it.

Psst, the featured photo is by Cottonbro via pexels