Change always starts with confusion

Ash Buchanan
Jul 24, 2017 · 2 min read

We live in a rapidly changing and increasingly disruptive world.

It’s a world that’s challenging every one of us to learn how we must also change to remain healthy and resilient. Therefore, how can we creatively adapt to our ever changing contexts? What are the habits of highly adaptive people?

While there are many habits worth noting, in this article we focus on a vital quality for generating creative change; our willingness to be confused. That’s because, we only change if we are willing to cross the boundary from what we know, into the unknown. Letting go of our need for certainty and comfort — and opening ourselves up to new, confusing experiences.

Creating change is vulnerable work

“Change always starts with confusion.” “We can’t be creative if we refuse to be confused.” — Margaret Wheatley

Crossing the boundary from what we know into the unknown is uncomfortable work. Its uncomfortable work, because we simply don’t know what is going to happen. It requires us to hold what we believe lightly, and remain open to seeing the world differently, even if what initially comes up for us seems crazy or absurd. These vulnerable moments are opportunities to get underneath the stories we’re telling ourselves and see the world differently. Sitting with surprise, confusion and disorientation is central to seeding the possibility of aha moments that change the way we look at the world — and change what we believe to be possible.

This may seem confronting to those who like certainty and predictability. But unless we are willing to be confused and enter the space where there is no guarantees, we effectively close ourselves off from the possibility of creative change.

How willing are you to be confused?

Benefit Mindset

Creating cultures of everyday leadership

Ash Buchanan

Written by

Social Innovation | Benefit Mindset I Wellbeing Design I Regenerative Development

Benefit Mindset

Creating cultures of everyday leadership

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