Staying Present in Uncertainty
By Sophie Makonnen
Why Uncertainty, and Why Now ?
Lately, I’ve been sitting with a question that keeps surfacing—in coaching conversations, group workshops, and quiet one-on-one exchanges: How do we find clarity and steadiness in a time that offers so little of either?
Across the international development and social impact sector, there’s a growing sense of instability—not just the usual complexities of funding cycles or shifting priorities—but a deeper, systemic contraction touching nearly everyone. Positions feel less secure. Budgets are tighter. Many professionals navigate shifting priorities without the clarity or communication to move forward confidently. And around all of that, the international context itself doesn’t feel reassuring.
Whether it’s geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainty, or the ripple effects of global disruptions, many carry a quiet, persistent weight: Is this just a difficult moment, or are the foundations of this work shifting?
That’s why I want to discuss uncertainty, not as a problem to be fixed but as a reality to navigate.
Making Sense of Uncertainty
Not All Instability Is Uncertainty
Before we go further, it’s essential to be clear: Not all forms of instability can or should be framed as uncertainty. There is a difference between uncertainty and harm—between a lack of clarity and an immediate threat to safety, dignity, or survival.
When someone is living in a zone of conflict, facing forced displacement, or navigating a physically and/or emotionally harmful environment, they are absolutely not dealing with professional uncertainty or institutional drift—they are facing conditions that demand urgent response and collective responsibility. And that requires different tools, different conversations, and different forms of solidarity.
This blog is not about the chaos of crisis or the momentum of innovation. It speaks to something else: the kind of uncertainty that emerges when systems shift—sometimes slowly, through eroded purpose or unclear priorities; sometimes suddenly, through top-down decisions that reshape roles and workflows without context or consultation. These moments may not be labelled as crises, but they can be deeply destabilizing, especially when they linger or repeat.
Here, uncertainty refers to the quiet disorientation that emerges when your role feels less secure, your contributions feel less visible, a project doesn’t go as planned, or something unexpected throws off weeks of careful preparation. It’s the feeling that the work you care about is slipping out of alignment with the structures meant to support it, or that the mission that once grounded your efforts is becoming harder to reach.
This kind of uncertainty doesn’t always announce itself in a context marked by volatility and complexity. But it can quietly wear down your confidence, unsettle your sense of direction, and cloud your ability to plan ahead. Over time, it can erode connection to others, work, and sometimes even yourself.
Uncertainty Is Not the Enemy
In a recent paper, Alquist and Baumeister (2024) highlight how uncertainty is often seen as something to eliminate:
“Uncertainty has a negative reputation. Not knowing what has happened or is going to happen is typically depicted as undesirable, and people often seek to minimize and avoid it.”
That sentence captures something many of us feel, especially in moments like this: if we don’t have answers, we assume something is wrong with the system or ourselves.
But uncertainty is not inherently the enemy. It is a state of not knowing, which is uncomfortable but also deeply human. And perhaps more importantly, it is often inescapable.
This state is becoming increasingly familiar in international development and across the broader field of social impact work. It is not the energizing uncertainty that comes with possibility, but the unsettling kind where questions multiply faster than answers, contracts hang in limbo, timelines shift without explanation, familiar structures begin to dissolve, and no one seems able to name what’s next.
It’s natural to want clarity. Certainty feels safe, especially in work where the stakes are high. But part of what makes this moment difficult is that many professionals are being asked to keep delivering, motivating others, and showing up in systems that are no longer stable.
Reframing the Narrative
If we assume uncertainty, as described in the previous section, is always a threat, we limit how we can move through it. But what if we viewed it differently—not as a sign that something’s gone wrong, but as an inevitable part of any system, career, or season of growth?
Uncertainty is uncomfortable, yes. But it’s not always a panic signal. Sometimes, it’s an invitation to pause, to listen more closely, and to ask a different kind of question.
People’s livelihoods, identities, and sense of purpose are being affected. In times like these, the question becomes less about eliminating uncertainty and more about moving through it. It’s not about ignoring difficulty. It invites us to focus on what we can influence, rather than exhausting ourselves trying to control what we can’t.
As the Stoic thinker and Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius put it: “You have power over your mind, not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”
That’s not always easy. But it’s a different kind of strength—quiet, steady, and sustaining—the kind that doesn't rely on things getting easier to begin moving forward.
Alquist and Baumeister remind us that uncertainty can sharpen attention, increase effort, and extend positive emotions—but only when we’re not overwhelmed by fear or consumed by the need to control the outcome.
Of course, that’s easier said than done, especially when the uncertainty we face isn’t abstract—it’s affecting people’s livelihoods, identities, and sense of purpose.
Reframing doesn’t mean ignoring the risks. It means shifting your stance: from “Why is this happening?” to “Given this reality, what’s within my influence?” From “I can’t move forward without certainty,” to “What’s one small, intentional step I can take now?”
In that shift lies resilience—not because it makes uncertainty disappear, but because it gives us something solid to hold onto.
Moving Through Uncertainty with Intention
Life is inherently unpredictable—a reality often described by the term VUCA: volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. While the concept originated in military and leadership circles, it now shapes how many professionals think about change and complexity. Navigating this kind of uncertainty calls for adaptability, resilience, and steady judgment—not just at the top but at every level.
And yet, when you’re in the middle of it—when decisions are delayed, roles shift without warning, or the path forward is unclear—those concepts can feel abstract. The challenge isn’t just to “adapt,” but to do so without losing your footing or your sense of self.
This section offers not solutions but steady practices—quiet ways of responding with intention, even when the larger picture remains unresolved.
Start with What’s Within Reach
When uncertainty takes hold, it’s easy to focus on what’s out of your control—delayed decisions, unclear budgets, shifting roles. That’s a natural response. But staying stuck there drains energy.
Sometimes, it helps to gently refocus on what’s workable. Maybe you follow up with a colleague to clarify next steps on a shared task, even if the broader project timeline is uncertain. Or you revise a work plan to reflect what’s known now, while flagging what still needs clarification. In moments like these, small steps can restore a sense of momentum.
They may not feel like much, but small, purposeful actions are often where progress begins. I wrote more about this in my blog, The Power of Small Wins, exploring how modest forward movement can rebuild confidence and motivation during uncertain times.
This isn’t about ignoring the bigger picture. It’s about staying grounded within it. Progress doesn’t have to be dramatic. It can be a quiet discipline—staying present, attentive, and engaged, even when certainty is out of reach.
Allow for Adjustment Without Losing Direction
There’s a difference between feeling lost and choosing to revise the map. In uncertain times, clinging to the original plan can offer a sense of control, but it can also keep us locked into a path that no longer fits the reality. Adjusting the course doesn’t mean you’ve lost focus. It means you’re paying attention.
Letting go of a timeline, rethinking an approach, or redefining success for a changed context isn’t a failure—it’s maturity. It’s the difference between drifting and steering with the conditions in mind.
For example, after months of delay, a regional program loses funding. Instead of trying to salvage the original rollout, a team reframes its goal, shifting from expansion to consolidation, and focusing on strengthening relationships and impact where work is already underway.
On a more personal level, after a promotion doesn’t materialize due to restructuring, a mid-level professional stops waiting for the next formal step and builds visibility through cross-team collaboration and mentoring. The strategy shifts, but the commitment to growth stays intact.
Some of the most thoughtful professionals I’ve worked with aren’t the ones who push through at all costs—they’re the ones who pause, reassess, and respond with clarity, even when that means letting go of how things were “supposed” to unfold.
Flexibility isn’t a compromise of standards. It’s a choice to stay aligned with purpose, not just with the original plan.
Normalize the Pause
There’s often an unspoken expectation to keep moving, to push forward, deliver, and respond. And in many situations, that’s necessary. Leaders are frequently called to act without perfect information, and waiting too long can mean missed opportunities or stalled progress.
But not every moment calls for immediate action.
When things are shifting beneath the surface in uncertain times, a deliberate pause can offer more value than a rushed response. It creates space to reassess what’s changed, clarify priorities, or surface questions that weren’t visible in the initial rush to act.
Pausing doesn’t mean disengaging. It means giving yourself a moment to breathe, to think clearly, and to avoid decisions that are more about urgency than alignment.
This can feel countercultural. Many professionals associate pausing with falling behind. But reflection isn’t a delay—it’s part of the work. And sometimes, the most responsible step is to take a beat before moving forward.
Normalizing the pause is not about second-guessing yourself. It’s about knowing when speed supports progress—and when a small, intentional slowdown might help you choose more wisely.
You might notice a tension here. In earlier blogs, I’ve written about the importance of acting without waiting for perfect information, and I still believe that. But knowing when to pause and when to act isn’t a contradiction. It’s a question of judgment. Of reading the moment, the context, and the cost of either inertia or reactivity.
There’s no perfect rule. Just the quiet discipline of paying attention—and the confidence to know that, sometimes, taking a breath is part of moving forward.
Stay Connected
Uncertainty can be isolating. When things feel unclear or unstable, many professionals instinctively turn inward, trying to process things alone, waiting for clarity before speaking up, or assuming others are handling it better.
But often, what feels personal is actually shared.
In coaching conversations, I’ve heard people quietly describe the same doubts, questions, and discomfort with not knowing. And yet, because everyone is trying to look composed on the surface, these shared experiences rarely get named aloud.
Staying connected doesn’t mean oversharing or venting your uncertainty at every turn. It means making space—formally or informally—for reflection, listening, and perspective. That might be through a trusted peer, a check-in with a former colleague, or simply being honest with someone you work closely with about what’s shifting for you.
These connections don’t solve uncertainty, but they soften its edges. They remind us we’re not navigating complexity in isolation. Sometimes, just knowing that someone else is finding their way through the same fog can bring a sense of steadiness.
Connection won’t give you the answers—but it can offer perspective, reassurance, and a much-needed reminder that you’re not the only one carrying this weight.
Final Thoughts
We may not always have clarity when we need it. But we can still shape how we respond. That response doesn’t have to be loud or bold. Sometimes, the quietest moves—a pause, a thoughtful adjustment, a moment of connection—are what carry us through.
Here are a few reminders for navigating uncertainty with intention:
Be prepared—and make sure you understand the context you’re operating in.
Have a plan B (and sometimes C…).
If a new opportunity presents itself, consider seizing it.
Reflect on how you’ve navigated uncertainty in the past and recognize the resilience you’ve built.
Recognize when you’re facing a larger paradigm shift and take time to recalibrate thoughtfully.
Don’t forget to celebrate your wins, big or small.
When disruptions arise, flexibility helps you adjust in the moment, resilience allows you to recover, and adaptability helps you grow in response to longer-term shifts.