Have you ever thought, "I KNOW better than this. So why can't I figure out what to do next?"
You read, research, make lists, talk to people you trust, listen to podcasts, ask AI, and think about it at 3:00 in the morning.
And somehow, instead of getting clearer, you get more confused.
Here's something I've learned from spending much of my life around entrepreneurs, business owners, executives and successful people:
Smart people can be incredibly good at getting themselves stuck.
Not because they aren't capable, but because they're capable of seeing TOO MUCH. They can see six different ways something might work and seventeen ways it might go wrong.
They anticipate consequences, analyze risks and research alternatives. Before long, something that started as a simple decision becomes a congressional investigation.
Your Intelligence Can Work Against You
We have more information available to us than any generation in history.
Want to change careers? There are 10,000 experts telling you how.
Want to start a business? There are 47 different business models you could choose before lunch.
Want to improve your health? Good grief. By the time you've listened to everybody, you're afraid to eat an egg. And now AI can give us even MORE possibilities.
Information isn't our problem anymore. Discernment is.
Knowing what matters. Knowing what doesn't. Knowing what is right for YOU. And most importantly, knowing when you have enough information to move.
But There Is Another Kind of Clarity
Sometimes the smartest thing you can do is STOP.
Stop researching. Stop asking everybody else what they think. Stop trying to force an answer.
And listen.
Listen to your intuition and what the Universe may be trying to show you right now.
I believe we have an inner connection to something greater than ourselves. Call it God, the Universe, Divine guidance, Higher Intelligence or intuition. Use whatever words feel right to you.
I've learned throughout my life that sometimes the answer isn't ready when WE demand it. Sometimes the timing has to wait for the world to give us a hint.
A person appears. An invitation arrives. A door unexpectedly opens. Something catches your attention. Or, for reasons you can't explain, your hand simply goes up.
My Hand Went Up
When I was in high school, I spent a LOT of time in the guidance counselor's office trying to figure out what the heck I was going to do with my life.
I wasn't attracted to any of the so-called "girl jobs" being presented to me as my future. None of them felt like me.
I was a poor farmer's daughter trying to imagine my future, and I knew my rebel self was never going to fit comfortably into those very confining career paths.
Looking back, I can see two things happened during high school that completely changed the trajectory of my life. I just didn't recognize them as clues at the time.
First, one of my teachers strongly encouraged me to enter a speaking contest. I was terrified and wondered why in the world she thought I could do it. But something made me listen to her.
I entered.
And I won.
For the first time, I had evidence that perhaps I could stand in front of people and communicate.
Then, during my senior year, our principal spoke to about 400 students and asked for volunteers to go into the community and sell advertising for the school yearbook.
Nobody raised their hand, except me.
The funny part is that I don't remember having some grand strategic conversation with myself about it. My hand just went up.
Suddenly I was going into the community, meeting people and selling advertising. Something clicked.
I discovered I had a natural ability to communicate with people. I could read people. I could connect with them.
And I could sell!
There I was spending all this time in the guidance counselor's office trying to THINK my way into my future.
Meanwhile, my future was already tapping me on the shoulder.
Speaking. Communication. Sales.
I simply didn't have enough life experience yet to understand what those clues meant.
And here I am today — a professional speaker, author, entrepreneur and coach.
Those two seemingly small experiences were breadcrumbs leading me toward a life I couldn't possibly have imagined yet.
What If Your Life Is Giving You Breadcrumbs?
Sometimes when we say, "I don't know what to do next," what we really mean is, "I haven't received the entire map yet."
Well, guess what? You probably aren't going to get one.
Life usually gives us breadcrumbs — an interesting conversation, a coincidence, an unexpected invitation, something you're suddenly curious about, someone suggesting something you'd never considered, or even a door closing that you were desperately trying to keep open.
Don't dismiss those moments.
Your next chapter may be whispering before it starts shouting.
I've often said that confusion is one of the most expensive places to live.
When you're confused, you don't move. You don't decide. You don't make the phone call, launch the idea, say yes or say no.
You remain parked at the intersection trying to determine which road is absolutely guaranteed to get you where you want to go. Meanwhile, life keeps moving.
Sometimes what we call being "stuck" is simply too many thoughts competing for our attention.
You aren't necessarily missing information, you may have too much of it.
Stop Trying to Make the Perfect Decision
High achievers especially want the RIGHT decision — the perfect business, investment, timing, relationship or plan.
But most meaningful decisions don't come with guarantees.
Sometimes you make the best decision you can with the information you have, and then you make that decision right by what you do next.
Instead of asking, "What if I make the wrong decision?" try asking:
What feels like the next breadcrumb?
What keeps getting my attention? What opportunity has appeared? What feels expansive rather than forced? What am I strangely curious about? What keeps showing up?
And perhaps the most important question: What is the Universe trying to show me that I've been too busy THINKING to notice?
You Don't Need the Entire Future
You can experiment. Make a phone call. Have a conversation. Write the first page. Take the class. Paint the wall. Send the proposal.
Raise your hand!
Because movement creates information that thinking cannot.
Once you move, you get feedback, you learn, you adjust, and you discover things you could never have discovered sitting in your chair thinking about them.
So if you're feeling stuck, ask yourself:
- What do I already know that I keep pretending I don't know?
- What am I researching because I'm afraid to make a decision?
- What keeps showing up that I may have dismissed as coincidence?
- Where am I trying to force timing instead of allowing something to unfold?
Maybe your job isn't to figure out your entire future. Maybe your job is simply to notice the next breadcrumb — and have the courage to follow it.
One Final Thought
Being stuck doesn't necessarily mean you're on the wrong path. Sometimes you've simply reached the end of what thinking can do for you.
Your mind has gathered the information, examined the possibilities and warned you about every conceivable disaster. Thank it for its excellent service and then get quiet.
Listen. Pay attention. Look for the breadcrumbs.
And when something inside you says, "Raise your hand," raise it!
You may not understand why yet and that's okay.
Sometimes clarity comes from action.
And sometimes the Universe gives you the clue long before it explains what the clue means.
Until next time, Keep in mind, Success is An Inside Job!
If you’re ready for greater clarity about what’s next, I’d love to help. I offer a limited number of private VIP Days and one-on-one coaching opportunities. Click the links to find out more.
VIP Day: https://milteer.com/vip-personal-vision-quest-retreat/
1-on-1 Coaching: https://milteer.com/coaching/
Sometimes one good conversation can change your direction,
Lee Milteer
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