What to do when the path forward is completely unclear
Last week’s election result stirred up a range of emotions, and however you're feeling right now is valid. For some, a setback can bring renewed motivation - a chance to reflect on what matters most, evaluate personal values, and consider the people and causes we choose to support. For others, the weight of disappointment can feel crushingly discouraging, making it hard to see a way forward.
When it comes to creating change in the world, there are countless obstacles. Some of these challenges, though difficult, are ultimately solvable. Passing legislation to address a harmful policy, restructuring a team to better leverage everyone’s strengths, or meeting an ambitious fundraising goal - all are demanding and non-linear paths, but they’re within reach with effort and dedication.
And then there are the hurdles to change that don’t in any way feel alterable or changeable. These are not hurdles to be overcome, but huge, sky-high mountains that aren’t traversable. No amount of plotting, planning, or strategizing is going to change these babies. How the American health insurance industry is structured, the electoral college system, prevailing attitudes around race, gender, and ability. These things can’t be changed, and they stand in our way to change.
These big, seemingly insurmountable barriers (let’s call them B-SIBS) are frustrating at best and completely cease our efforts to make change at worst.
Why are B-SIBs such beasts?
B-SIBs (big, seemingly insurmountable barriers) get in our way by making the path forward unclear and overwhelming. Paving a new path feels daunting, like standing at the bottom of an unexplored mountain, unsure of where to begin. The fear of wasting resources and making mistakes can hold us back, and the weight of these barriers can make it feel as though change isn’t possible at all.
I experienced this firsthand on a recent trip to the UK, where I went running through unfamiliar, rural parts of England and Wales. Whenever I came across a vast green field, I always chose the paved road over the open, unspoiled land. The idea of forging a new path felt too difficult and uncertain, much like how we often feel when faced with big challenges.
What’s worse is that B-SIBs can lead us to believe that change isn’t possible in the first place. They can make us think that if change were achievable, someone else would have already done it. They feed our doubts, whispering that it’s too risky, too hard, or too time-consuming. And yet, it’s often in these very moments of doubt that we need to keep pushing forward, because the hardest paths are often the ones that lead to the most profound transformation.
How to tackle a B-SIB:
Here are four steps in tackling big, seemingly insurmountable barriers (B-SIBs):
Name them. Acknowledge their presence and identify why they are frustrating. These barriers are often closely tied to your larger vision, which means they can also be reframed as opportunities for growth.
Take your “If only…” statement and flip the emphasis to create a vision. For example, “If only we weren’t so dependent on fossil fuels to live” becomes “People aren’t as dependent on fossil fuels to live.” By shifting the focus in this way, you turn a seemingly insurmountable barrier into a tangible goal for the future.
Shift your expectations around time. B-SIBS are rarely tackled quickly, but when you stop seeing these barriers as obstacles and instead as a vision for what can be, they can provide a roadmap for our activism. With constraints often comes creativity, and by embracing that mindset, we can begin to imagine innovative solutions and actionable steps toward making change possible.
Think of past B-SIBs that have become reality. Many of the privileges and protections in place today were once a B-SIB for a past generation of changemakers: the abolition of slavery, the women’s suffrage movement, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the creation of social security systems like Medicare and Social Security, the eradication of small pox, and the 2022 Respect for Marriage Act to name a few. Your B-SIB today will be someone’s future history lesson.
We cannot afford to lose the belief that change is possible—because when we shift our perspective, barriers transform into opportunities, and we create a kinder, more equitable world.