What To Do - When You Don't Know What To Do

A great sportsman once said that in order to be successful, “you must accept all challenges that come your way. You can’t just accept the ones you like.” Coming from a man who voluntarily subjected himself to at least a dozen minor head injuries in the name of furthering his career… Well, at least he knows how to stand by his laurels.

He makes a valid point, too. We simply don’t grow when the world is delivered to us on a silver platter; we grow when our abilities are tested. Chances are, if you’ve been on your career path for any length of time now, you’ve probably faced your fair share of challenges to get to where you are already. Well done!

Unfortunately, I do have some bad news. Those challenges never go away. No matter how far along the path you trundle, there will always be another felled tree or fat creek waiting for you to manoeuvre. That doesn’t mean that the road never gets any easier. The more obstacles you successfully conquer, the better you’ll get at it. While you’re out trouncing all those challenges, here are a few tips to help you get past the next supposed impasse.

1. Try not to get overwhelmed.


We’ve all been there. Head in hands, brows knitted, pouring over a project that just doesn’t make sense anymore and trying not to have a minor mental break in the middle of the office. When challenges raise their heads and growl at us, it can be hard not to fall into the deep, dark hole in our psyche that is self-doubt. Why would they choose you? You’re not qualified. There has to be some sort of mistake; there’s no way they could expect you to do this.

However, they did choose you. Whether or not it was because you’re the best candidate for the job isn’t really relevant. You’re the one they picked, and you’re the one who has to do it. Once you realise that, you can get started with an attitude that says, “I’m going to do the best that I can.”

2. Start small


When you don’t know where to start, building momentum can be hard - even for the most motivated and capable individuals. The key is in the little things. Break the challenge into tiny pieces and start with something that doesn’t require a great deal of effort. Look up the email address of someone you need to be in contact with. Note important deadlines and meetings down in your calendar. Open a web browser and don’t immediately fall onto Facebook.

All these things might seem minuscule and unimportant, but they do all need to be done. These little stepping stones play a much bigger role in your progress than you might think. Getting started is the hardest part of any project, but as you consistently tick all these mini-challenges off your to do list, you’ll find that you’re not quite as incapable as you thought you were with your head buried in your hands.

3. Activate your resources


Google is everyone’s best friend but, often times, it can be surprisingly easy to simply pick from the pool of knowledgeable people around you. You might not be able to ask for extra formal training or have someone checking in with you every step of the way, but there will always be someone who can help.

Now we know it can be hard to expose our uncertainties in front of coworkers. In some instances, the culture of the workplace can make the fear of inconveniencing others a formidable concern. The longer you wait to ask, the longer you run the risk of making a mistake that could have been avoided with a two minute question early on.



People with varying expertise in a collaborative environment can foster efficiency like few other things can. Track down your coffee break confidant and pick their brains for a moment. Once you take the plunge, you’ll generally find that people are more than happy to help, especially when they get to talk about something they’re knowledgeable or passionate about.

4. Bonus: feedback is your best friend


Once it’s all done and dusted, you have one final and extremely valuable resource at your disposal: evaluation. Take note of victories and actively assess defeats. Even if you didn’t complete what you set out to do, having something to bring to your boss will garner more respect from them than had you protested the project from the start.

Whether you do exceptionally well or fell short of the mark, the internal and external feedback you will receive at the end are arguably the most useful sources of development on your journey toward your overreaching career goals. You’ll be back on your path, having pushed that nasty tree trunk to the side, and will have learnt a thing or two along the way. Rejoice, but set your sights on that other big boulder sitting some ways in front of you.

Nothing worth having comes easy.