I can’t remember the last time I saw a job posting that didn’t list among the skills needed for the role “Able to navigate uncertainty” or “Comfortable dealing with ambiguity.” Given the speed with which the workplace (and the world) is evolving, it’s not a surprise that uncertainty and ambiguity are common threads. What do they say? Change is the only thing you can count on?
If ever there was a year to test my comfort with uncertainty and change, this has been it. A kid leaving for college, leaving a full time job without another job lined up, starting a brand new professional endeavor all on my own from a blank page… change, uncertainty, and ambiguity defined.
This summer I am navigating a bittersweet change while I watch people close to me deal with an incredible level of uncertainty and ambiguity. My dear friends and neighbors have sold their home and are moving overseas.
My friends (mom, dad, and 19 year old daughter) are all rockstars. Watching them make this monumental decision and continue to pivot multiple times when the plans haven’t aligned while remaining committed to this journey has been nothing short of admirable. The details are not my story to share, but truly, I want to publicly state that I see them, and I’m in awe.
To make this about me for a moment (😂) – I have known for a while that this was likely to be my friends’ next step, but now it is actually happening. And there are moments where I kind of can’t believe it!
I am losing physical access to my closest mom friend. We have been friends and neighbors since our 19-year-olds were 3. We went through every phase of child rearing together… and continue to do so as we watch our kids become independent and enter adulthood. We supported each other through 10+ job transitions between each of our families. And we were always just a few steps away from one another when needed.
Here’s the thing – it is possible to be both incredibly excited and supportive of something for a friend, and to be very sad for myself. I can see how this is the right move for my friend and her family. I am so excited for them as they embark on this adventure. I see what it is going to do for each of them, and I wouldn’t want anything different.
This summer has included some bittersweet moments: scavenging through their kitchen for the bowls and utensils I love before they are sold to some stranger, picking through jewelry and books as they downsize, watching the “for sale” sign turn to an “under contract” sign in the blink of an eye, and, of course, making plans for my future trips to visit. It’s been a roller coaster – and I can only imagine the whiplash they are feeling!
This feeling of holding space for conflicting emotions is all a part of navigating uncertainty. Leave a job and there is excitement and fear. Recover from illness or surgery and there is gratitude and anxiety. See a kid off to college and there is pride and sadness. Start a new business and there’s every possible conflicting emotion you can imagine.
Leaning into the both/and is how we make it through! Besides holding space for conflicting emotions, what strategies do YOU use to navigate ambiguity? Share them below!
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