It is convenient to have a task. It might not be the one we like, but at the same time, it is there and can be tackled.

But what happens, when change comes about?

Choosing an objective is much less convenient. It requires making choices. And it invites the risk of choosing the wrong objective. One that could end up being one that ultimately cannot be managed.

The ambiguity as experienced in this situation creates anxiety. There is uncertainty in the situation, with ourselves as well as with others involved. It’s the space where we fail to grasp the choice and risks we have to take.

Seen from this perspective, ambiguity helps, at least momentarily, by making further problems invisible. However failing to step into the ambiguity and becoming aware of the underlying issues and questions may lead to the biggest risk, which is to avoid making a choice.

Making a choice doesn’t guarantee good results either. It’s a situation in which the underlying risk shapes the choices we can make as well as the psychological response to them we’ll have. This may for example lead to the objective not being clear enough or being chosen but eventually not executed. It can also to a variety of options being invisible.

The invitation here is to neither push anxiety away, nor assume that forcing a decision will solve the situation.

Exploring one’s situation with an open mind and the willingness to step back and simply note what is happening in the process come in handy here.

Easier said than done. But worth it.