When you feel stuck...
Here are your options.
Welcome to RemoteThatWorks, a weekly-ish newsletter hand-typed by the Valentina Thörner, the Empress of Remote. I talk about product leadership (and ops), process design, and people (and their relationships). Proudly non-AI, and proudly all-opinions-my-own. Subscribe so you don’t miss out on the next post.
When you feel stuck, you have two main options.
1. You can wait.
You can wait for the stars to align.
You can wait to get all ducks into a row.
You can wait for your PO to share more details.
You can wait for your VP to give you clear instructions.
Or
2. You can take a reasonable next step.
You can fit in a shorter run after school drop-off even if it isn’t the exact distance on your training plan. (OK - that’s definitely me.)
You can book that restaurant even if your friends haven’t 100% confirmed yet.
You can start your discovery on the next possible problem to solve, even if you don’t know the estimate for the current feature development yet.
You can make the decision that makes most sense and keep your VP in the loop. They’ll speak up if you are going completely off the rails.
Decisions are scary - not deadly.
Yes, decisions can be scary.
Making a decision means you are responsible.
You might be wrong! And if you were wrong, someone might be upset.
Or you might be right. You might move the needle into the exactly right direction.
You might end up making life easier not just for yourself, but for everyone around you.
Doing nothing is exhausting.
Waiting for the stars to align, the ducks to behave, others to act - it’s exhausting.
You still have to pretend that you are busy. And that, frankly, is waisting your genius.
So next time you feel like you can’t do anything until something else happens - maybe you can make something else happen.
Go - make an impact! It’s worth it.
It’s not scary. It’s exhilarating.
This post was inspired by life. I’d love to hear your thoughts - reply to this email and you might spark another newsletter. And if you are looking for a mentor or business coach with a pragmatic approach, get in touch.
What I always try to remember, when stuck, is that bad feelings can be 5x more powerful than good feelings, so that it's fear that often gets us stuck. According to prospect theory (look it up; it won the noble prize), people don’t always act rationally. We tend to weigh losses more heavily than gains. Emotions can mess with this balance. Dread can have more power than joy or excitement. #fightthefomo