What to Do When the Way Forward Isn’t Clear

Sitting at the base of Half Dome, my client stared up at a wall of granite that looked impossible to climb.

She’d signed up for the adventure to feel more alive, but from that vantage point, there was no visible path.

She told me later, “When you look at the sheer face of Half Dome, it seems impossible to climb—because you can’t actually see the route. The path is on the backside of the mountain. But if you didn’t know that, you’d assume it was impossible.”

Isn’t that how it often goes when standing at the base of our goals?

We set big, audacious goals, like climbing a mountain in business, health, finances, or reinventing ourselves.

But how often do we look at where we want to go and see a sheer granite wall of the unknown and think: I have no idea how to do this.

And so we assume the path doesn’t exist.

But what if the path is just on the other side of the mountain?

What if it’s hidden—not because it’s impossible—but because it only reveals itself when you start moving?

Surrendering to not knowing how something is going to happen isn’t always easy. Why? Because your brain craves certainty. It equates certainty with safety.
And when it can’t see how something is going to happen? It often decides it won’t.

You might notice your mind aiming for certainty through perfectionism, procrastination, over-prepping, or that one-week rabbit hole where you convince yourself you must analyze a spreadsheet before doing anything at all.

(You’ll never see me obsessing over a spreadsheet—but you will see me packing extra snacks for myself and the kids, just for the certainty of knowing we won’t go feral from hanger.)

But neuroscience shows that insight and creativity don’t arrive when you stand still waiting for certainty.
They arrive when you’re in motion.
When you’ve taken one step—any step—toward what you want.

You don’t need to see the entire route.
You just need to find the trailhead.

Here are three practices I share with my clients whenever they're standing at the base of a goal—especially when the path isn’t obvious.

1. Let go of needing to know the path. Just find the trailhead.
Even if you think you know how something will play out, you can’t predict the unexpected—including the magic: the conversation with a stranger that brings clarity, the idea that drops in during a walk, the moment when sunlight breaks through and you suddenly feel inspired again. The mind wants a map. But your job isn’t to know the entire route. It’s to find the starting point, and trust that the path will unfold.

2. Let others remind you who you are.
Sometimes the fog rolls in as self-doubt, and suddenly the path looks more confusing than before.
You forget your strength. Your power. Your limitless nature.
That’s when it matters who you’re walking with.
Surround yourself with people and voices who remind you of who you are when you’ve forgotten, like a mentor, a coach, or friend. We need our hype people. Someone to say: You’re freaking amazing. You’ve got this. Keep going.

3. Take one micro-brave step.
Many of my clients tell me they don’t even know where to start, because the path is unclear and the summit feels daunting.
So let it go. Forget the summit for now. Just find one small, brave step forward.
Like brainstorming ideas. Or, sending the email. Sharing your work. Or, asking for help.
You don’t have to feel ready or know the next step after that.
Clarity often grows after you take one step forward.

And that’s what my client discovered, too.

Even though she didn’t reach the summit, she returned home changed.
Not because she crushed the initial goal.
But because she said yes to the adventure. She found the starting point. She walked the trail she could see. And she learned more about herself from the experience.
Along the way, the path to something deeper—something beyond the summit—began to reveal itself to her.

The climb matters more than the summit.
Because it’s about who you become along the way—the willingness to sit in the unknown and trust that the path will reveal itself.
What you gain from the uncertainty, from your hype people, and from each small, brave step can lead to experiences even richer than the view at the top.

Even if your goal looks impossible—maybe especially then—find your trailhead.

Because when you move forward without knowing the full path, you grow, you learn, and you return with a life full of depth, meaning, memories, and stories worth telling.

With love and courage,
Sarah

P.S. If you’re a coach looking for your own hype people—the kind who see your brilliance, walk with you through the fog, and remind you who you are—I’d love to invite you to Fireside for Coaches. Fireside is my mentoring program for coaches who want support, connection, and guidance as they grow, whether you’re a new coach or have been coaching for years.

You’ll find real community, soulful strategy, and (if you need them) ICF group mentoring hours. Because you don’t have to walk the trail alone.

I write regularly about aliveness, fear, and the inner choices that shape our lives. Get the next one in your inbox.