2025 could be summed up as “OMG, did that really happen, too?” As the new year begins, it’s tempting to focus on battening down the hatches and mitigating the uncertainties. Instead, as I originally wrote in I by IMD, focus on where you want to go, not the obstacles around you.
But first: I'm prototyping an AI companion that helps you create Light Actions and looking for corporate beta testers. Reply if you'd like to try it.
The Saskatchewan Drivers’ Handbook
The Saskatchewan Drivers’ Handbook emphasizes that it’s imperative to focus on the road ahead, not potential hazards. It’s not that you should ignore any stray cats, but rather that you’ll arrive faster and in better health (as will all wandering felines) if you’re aware of the obstacles but focused on your destination.
In fact, this is a basic tenet of any physical activity. The Inner Game of Tennis (a 50-year-old classic described by Bill Gates as “the best book on tennis that I have ever read [with] profound advice [that] applies to many other parts of life”) advises exactly this: know your direction and trust your body to get there. When you serve, focus on where you want the ball to land, not the angle of your arm as you swing.
Where you look, your body follows
Even those of us who are bad at sports know this adage to be true. No lie: this has worked wonders for my pickleball game!
So, why does it feel harder to follow in our careers or work when uncertainty is high?
It’s easy to be inundated with scary messages about the market. “Consumers aren’t spending this year.” “There are no jobs.” There’s not just one stray cat meandering in front of the car – there’s a whole litter. The truth is more nuanced: people always spend on what matters to them, and there are always jobs for the right fit.
Attention determines trajectory – a sound touchstone for when you’re facing uncertainty of any kind.
Try this
Facing challenging market uncertainties as a leader? Ask what AI could do to make one process more efficient or to serve one client segment better. Pick one possibility and dedicate team time to prototyping it. What you’ll learn will illuminate the next step.
Want a new job? List three things that matter most to you and center your search on those. While you’re at it, see if you can make one or two of those things happen where you are right now. Small steps build momentum.
Key learning
Looking ahead leads to forward momentum and gets you where you want to be faster: you create the future by focusing on it.
Grateful to Nano Banana for following my creative direction much better than those other chatbots!
P.S. This newsletter is taking its own light action: going bi-weekly so I can focus on building corporate partnerships that create real momentum. If you're curious, hit reply—I'd love to hear what you're navigating.
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Thoughtful insights, easy experiments and smart light actions delivered (most) Fridays. I’m Amy Bonsall—ambiguity architect. I help leaders lead better through uncertainty. I’m a former IDEO and Old Navy exec, Harvard Business Review author, and secret-back-pocket resource for leaders wanting to feel more confident in ambiguity.
