This was a major shift for me when I visited home, Russia, this year.
“So when did the shift happen for you? That ability to believe it’ll all work out and just let go? When was that realization?”, Sean asked.
“It wasn’t a realization,” I told him. “It was an experiment I set up.”
Let me explain.
When I landed back in Russia, I knew things might get complicated. I don’t live there anymore, barely spend time, no longer a resident but I still had to pay certain dues and taxes. On top of that, my passport was expiring. And then I found out I couldn’t leave the country until I settled it all.
It felt heavy. Too heavy.
One morning, I woke up in cold sweat: Was this the biggest mistake of my life? Coming back here instead of staying safe in Cape Town?
But then I decided to try something different. Instead of panicking, I decided to set up an experiment.
I told myself, "I’ll trust that it’ll work out if I focus on one step at a time. One problem at a time. By the end of the summer, I’ll have it figured out. And on Friday morning, I’ll be climbing Lion’s Head again.
One step at a time.
"There was another thing, I told Sean, I also decided, that cold-sweat morning would be when I proved to myself that when you make a firm decision, when you commit to solving one thing at a time, and let go of how exactly it’s going to unfold… the Universe tends to meet you halfway."
That’s what I did. And that’s why, Sean, we are having this conversation on our way down Lion’s Head."
The experiment worked. Once again. Once I decided where to go, and just went for it.
I became a firm believer: this is how life works.
"So, it wasn't the realization, it was the experiment that I ran to confirm what I already suspected worked"
We have a vision, a North Star. But we don’t get to see the whole map. No matter how many books we read, how many stories of others we hear, or how many business "hacks" we know. Life is about discovering the map as we walk it, seeing new mountains rise (where we thought valleys would be), learning to climb them, and being present enough to enjoy the path as it unfolds.
Trusting THIS is the way, and that the Universe knows its sh*t better.
The same goes for my leadership coaching.
I don’t hand my clients answers. I don't expect them to just trust me. Who am I? They’re successful leaders with decades of wisdom already. What I do is bring tools, methods of all the coaching schools and thought leaders that developed the field long before I came along, and "a mirror". We set up experiments. Once they see what works in their own lives, the trust doesn’t come from me - it comes from their own evidence.
You trust to try. Then when you see it - you know it.
That’s what growth looks like.
The people who grow the most aren’t the ones with the strongest beliefs, or the most books read. They’re the ones who treat life like scientists: get an insight, test, observe, apply, adjust.
And they let go more often. Because you never have the full map. And sometimes where you expect a smooth walk, you’ll find a mountain waiting for you.
So, over to you dear read,
Stop waiting for clarity. Stop overthinking. Run one experiment this week.
Because the only way to find your map… is to walk it. What's one experiment you'll run this week to clear the map?
PS This week on Change Wired podcast we'll have someone from Google talking about life as a series of tests - a map to unfold, not a GPS to navigate what's known.
