How Taking Action Changes What We Believe Is Possible
Last week, I wrote about the gap between knowing and doing. But I have been thinking about what happens after we take action. Could doing something new change not only what we know, but also what we believe is possible?
In Kyoto, I walked uphill through the red torii gates of Fushimi Inari. It was a hot, humid summer day, and the path was full of visitors. One gate followed another. I could see what was immediately ahead, but had little idea what the rest of the climb would be like.
What surprised me was how different it felt as I went higher.
As I walked further up, there were fewer people around, and the noise slowly faded. My legs were getting tired, but I felt increasingly peaceful. I couldn't know why others had turned back. I only knew that my own experience had changed because I had continued walking.
Problem: We imagine our professional future with the knowledge we have today
But how can we fully picture possibilities that require experiences we haven't yet had?
Ten years ago, I stepped away from architecture to build a career in coaching. I couldn't have imagined the work I do today, the partnerships I would build or the people I would support.
It wasn't one brave decision followed by steady progress.
There were hundreds of thresholds: uncertainty, setbacks, moments of doubt and times when I came close to quitting.
Some experiences strengthened my confidence. Others challenged what I thought I knew. Each taught me something I could bring into my next decision.
Insight: Our future selves are built layer by layer
In his TED talk You Don't Actually Know What Your Future Self Wants, Shankar Vedantam explores the illusion of continuity: we recognise how much we've changed in the past, yet tend to underestimate how much we may change in the future.
This reminded me of the gates in Kyoto. Every new section of the path offered a different experience; one I couldn't have fully understood from where I had started.
The same can happen professionally. We act, gain experience, reflect and learn.
What we learn can influence our next decisions and open possibilities we hadn't considered before.
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3 Practical Tips
💎 Choose a threshold. What professional step could you take, even without knowing exactly where it will lead?
💎 Learn from doing. What has a difficult experience taught you that you couldn't have learned beforehand?
💎 Expand your perspective. Read biographies, learn from people you admire, or find a mentor. Other people's experiences can help you imagine possibilities you haven't yet considered.
A Human Performance Architecture Reflection:
Knowing and doing continually shape each other. Every action creates an opportunity to learn, and every new understanding can influence what we do next. Over time, these experiences build upon one another, gradually expanding our capacity to make decisions, adapt and shape our future.
A Closing Reflection
Ten years ago, I couldn't have imagined some of what I do today. And I cannot fully imagine what the next five years may bring. That gives me hope!
There will always be more to discover, more to learn and new possibilities we cannot yet see.
What has doing taught you that knowing alone never could?
Warmly,
Dilek
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