As we have discussed in both the What Now? podcast and previous newsletters, uncertainty can lead us to try and control everything. It can feel safer that way. In reality, though, the more we try to hold onto every detail, the more overwhelmed we often become.
For me, this showed up as pressure to keep moving forward, the emotional weight of carrying so many unresolved questions, and the constant need to make decisions. When we look at the bigger picture, it can feel like a tangled ball of wool. We know there is a way through, but we don't know where to start.
When we ask ourselves, What is one thing I could realistically do today?, we shift our focus. Instead of looking at everything at once, we focus on one thing we can influence. That shift can help us feel a greater sense of agency, even when control remains out of reach.
When considering what we can influence, it is important to recognise what is, and isn't, available to us right now.
Sometimes there are practical tasks that help move the journey forward. It might be completing a form, making a phone call, or providing information that is needed for the next stage.
At other times, all of that has been done. The forms have been submitted, the appointments attended, and the decisions made. We are simply waiting for information or for the next step to unfold.
In those moments, the question may look slightly different:
What small step can I take to support myself while I wait?
