As a New Yorker, I don't spend too much time in nature, but after months of Covid lockdowns, I escaped to Lake George in June of 2020. I went on a hike in the woods when I was there.

While on the trail, there were times I couldn’t see the markers indicating which direction to continue. In those moments, I had to make a choice: leave my feet planted on the forest floor or plod forward a few more steps.

I plodded forward, and each time I did, a colorful marker revealed itself to me. The markers were there. I just needed to trust that the path would become clear if I took a small step.

The experience felt like a metaphor for life. If we require certainty before making a decision or taking action, then we’re stuck. In the absence of movement, we can’t see the trail markers around the bend—out of sight—but there waiting for us.

When he was interviewed on Shane Parrish's podcast "The Knowledge Project," former GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt gave his input on the key points needed for success:

1. People need the right instrumentation: What metrics, what analysis, and what matters.
2. They need to have a core team that gives them expertise and wisdom.
3. They need to have their own self-confidence to make a decision.

He went on to say: 

"The first two are pretty easy to put in place, but you have to push leaders to make the decision. It’s a bigger mode of failure when people won’t make a decision than when they make decisions and some of them are wrong. Progress is more important than perfection. You don’t make progress unless you make decisions. That takes a certain amount of confidence.”

Whether you're taking the next few uncertain steps on a hike or making a decision when you don't feel you have all of the information, it's about making progress. Moving forward. Trying and learning and resisting the temptation to stand still to avoid falling or failing.

Need some support gaining the confidence to take your own steps forward? Schedule a complimentary, one-hour coaching session now at this link.