# Embracing Unfinished Business: The Key to Career Advancement
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Chapter 1: The Transformative Power of Unfinished Business
It was a late Tuesday night in March 2015 when I found myself staring at my laptop, feeling overwhelmed with frustration. I had just received a critique from my mentor, who had dissected a business plan I had poured my heart and soul into for months.
"It's too polished," he said. "Real business doesn't come that neatly packaged. Where's the flexibility?"
You might be wondering why an aspiring entrepreneur, armed with a Business Administration degree, numerous certifications, and extensive corporate experience, was seeking counsel from a bodega owner in New York's fashion district.
Let's just say my choice of mentors was as unconventional as wearing socks with sandals to a New Year's Eve gathering—a fashion faux pas I’ve regrettably made more times than I’d like to admit, both metaphorically and literally.
However, David (my non-traditional mentor) possessed insights that far surpassed my textbook knowledge.
I was crushed. This plan was meant to be my escape from the corporate grind into the world of entrepreneurship. I had meticulously checked every detail.
How could he label it too perfect? I had even color-coded my spreadsheets!
As the hours passed and my coffee grew cold (I briefly considered whether coffee could count as a meal), David’s words began to resonate. I realized I had become so fixated on perfection that I had neglected the unpredictable nature of business.
There was no room for pivots, learning, or unexpected opportunities that arise from unfinished tasks.
That night was a turning point. I tossed aside my 42-page plan (farewell, beautifully organized charts) and embraced a more adaptable approach. I launched my consulting firm armed with more questions than answers, more possibilities than certainties. It felt akin to jumping from a plane and assembling my parachute mid-air—terrifying yet exhilarating.
And you know what?
It turned out to be the best decision I could have made. This willingness to embrace uncertainty opened my eyes to opportunities I would have overlooked with a rigid plan. It enabled me to adapt when my first major client presented unexpected challenges and even saved my business during a brief economic slump when I had to pivot my services quickly.
I discovered that my unfinished, flexible business model was not a hindrance—it was my secret advantage. It kept me eager, agile, and ever-evolving. Plus, it provided a valid excuse for my continually cluttered desk.
Now, when aspiring entrepreneurs seek my guidance, I tell them,
"Don’t tie everything up neatly. Leave some threads untied. Your greatest opportunities often lie in those loose ends."
Unfinished Business: The Advantage of High Achievers
Let’s be honest: if life were as tidy as a wrapped gift, we’d all be living in a Hallmark movie. The reality, similar to that kitchen drawer filled with random items you can’t categorize (admit it, we all have one), is far messier.
In the professional realm, we are often sold the illusion of closure as if it were the ultimate key to career fulfillment. "Tie up those loose ends!" they preach. "Achieve that perfect project completion!" they insist. But here’s a thought: What if closure is merely a comforting story we tell ourselves?
I once interviewed an accomplished executive named Tina, who had more unfinished projects than a ghost with ADHD. "I’ve got about seventeen projects in various stages of completion," she said, beaming like someone who discovered that calories don’t count on Tuesdays. "It used to stress me out. Now? It’s my secret weapon."
Tina isn't alone. In fact, the more successful individuals I spoke with, the more I realized they had an almost unsettling comfort with professional ambiguity.
But why is this important?
Because we’re about to explore the fascinating world of professional uncertainty.
VUCA: The New Normal in the Workplace
If you haven’t encountered the term VUCA yet, it will soon become your new favorite acronym (move over, YOLO). VUCA stands for Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity—essentially, "It's chaotic out there."
Originally a military term, VUCA quickly made its way into the business landscape, and for good reason—it perfectly captures the tumultuous nature of our current work environment.
Jenny, a software engineer at a rapidly growing fintech startup, arrives at the office at 8:15 AM. Before she can even settle in, her Slack channels light up with urgent messages.
Their primary API provider has just announced a comprehensive system overhaul. Jenny’s team has 30 days to adapt or risk losing access to critical financial data. Voila, volatility in action.
By 10 AM, Jenny finds herself in a cross-functional meeting. The product team is advocating for new features, while operations is worried about scalability. Engineering is caught in the middle, trying to balance innovation with stability. The complexity of modern tech development is vividly on display.
Lunchtime brings even more uncertainty. Rumors of a potential acquisition are circulating. Jenny overhears snippets of conversation—will they be merged into a larger company or continue operating independently? The ambiguity creates palpable tension.
At 2 PM, a major client reports a bug in production. Jenny dives into the code, tracing the issue through layers of dependencies and third-party integrations. The interconnected nature of their system complicates diagnosis.
By 4:30 PM, the bug is resolved, but Jenny's mind is already racing with the challenges awaiting her tomorrow. There’s talk of transitioning to a new cloud provider, and she needs to assess the potential impact on their infrastructure.
Jenny leaves the office at 6 PM, unsure if her job will still exist tomorrow, but certain that it won’t be dull.
In this VUCA world, being comfortable with uncertainty isn’t just a bonus—it’s as vital as knowing how to power on your computer. For Jenny, like countless others in tech, this reality is just another day on the job.
In such an environment, adapting to uncertainty is akin to possessing a superpower. It separates those who thrive from those who merely survive.
So, how do we cultivate this superpower? It's not like you can enroll in "Uncertainty 101" at the local community college. (Though if that class existed, I bet the syllabus would change daily).
The key lies in how we frame uncertainty. Rather than viewing it as a problem to be solved, consider it an opportunity to explore. In other words, in a VUCA world, those who can navigate the waves of uncertainty aren’t just staying afloat—they’re riding the pipeline to success.
As Jenny heads home, she’s already preparing mentally for the next day's adventures in the ever-evolving landscape of modern technology—a reality that applies across professions, where navigating volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity has become crucial for success.
How Unfinished Business Revolutionized Medicine
History exemplifies how unfinished business can lead to extraordinary breakthroughs. In 1928, Alexander Fleming was researching influenza at St. Mary's Hospital in London.
Before departing for a two-week vacation, he left some Petri dishes containing Staphylococcus bacteria cultures stacked on a bench in his lab—essentially, unfinished business.
Upon his return, Fleming noticed something peculiar: mold had contaminated one of the dishes, creating a bacteria-free zone around it. This accidental discovery, resulting from what some might label as careless lab practices, ultimately led to the invention of penicillin—arguably one of the most significant medical advancements of the 20th century.
Fleming's openness to the unexpected and his decision to investigate an 'unfinished' experiment instead of discarding it altered the course of modern medicine.
Thriving Amidst Uncertainty
How do the most successful professionals transform the lack of closure into their secret ingredient for success? Here are a few strategies I’ve observed:
- They approach uncertainty like a choose-your-own-adventure book. Each unresolved situation is an opportunity to craft their own narrative.
- They embrace the phrase "I don't know." Acknowledging uncertainty is viewed as a strength, not a flaw.
- They excel at pivoting. When one route closes, they quickly shift to another, often while remaining upbeat.
- They gather experiences as others collect stamps.
- They’ve redefined success. It’s not about wrapping everything up neatly but about how many tasks they can juggle without spilling their coffee.
The Psychology of Accepting Uncertainty
Now, let’s discuss why uncertainty can feel like trying to solve a Rubik's cube while blindfolded. Our brains, bless their intricate neurons, are hardwired to seek certainty.
This instinct is rooted in survival—back in prehistoric times, uncertainty could indicate a saber-toothed tiger was about to make you its next meal.
Dr. Robert Leahy, Director of the American Institute for Cognitive Therapy, states, "The need for certainty is fundamentally about the need for safety."
However, here’s the twist: this instinct can be more of a hindrance than a help in our contemporary world.
Consider how often you've stayed in a less-than-ideal job because it felt like a "sure thing." Or how often you've shied away from a potentially fantastic opportunity because it wasn’t a "guaranteed success." That’s your primal brain speaking, and it’s time to silence it.
The good news?
Like any muscle, our capacity to tolerate uncertainty can be developed. Start small—perhaps take a different route to work or order something unpronounceable at a restaurant. Gradually, you’ll become more comfortable with not having all the answers. And that, my friends, is where the magic occurs.
The Illusion of Closure
The professionals who appear to have achieved the most "closure" in their careers are often the least preoccupied with it. They’ve realized that pursuing closure is akin to attempting to nail Jell-O to a wall—messy, frustrating, and likely to leave marks on your carpet.
Instead, they’ve learned to dance in the rain of uncertainty, to surf the waves of ambiguity—okay, I’ll stop with the metaphors. You grasp the idea.
Welcoming the Ellipsis
Before you start tearing up your plans in a fit of uncertainty-embracing enthusiasm, let’s pause for a moment. While we’ve been extolling the virtues of ambiguity as if it’s the latest hit, it’s crucial to recognize that some degree of structure and planning is necessary.
The objective is to strike a balance between flexibility and direction. Think of it like a road trip: you need a general destination, but you should be open to exciting detours along the way.
In the professional realm, this might mean setting broad objectives while remaining adaptable in how you achieve them—or crafting a five-year plan in pencil, not chiseled in stone. It’s about being prepared for change without being immobilized by it.
The most successful individuals aren’t those with the most neatly packaged careers. They’re the ones who’ve learned to flourish in the ellipsis, to derive joy from the journey, and to keep forging ahead even when the path before them is as clear as mud.
And let’s be honest: the best stories rarely conclude with, "and they all lived happily ever after." They often end with "To be continued…" Because, ultimately, isn’t that so much more thrilling?
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