When the Surface Stills: Finding Clarity in Uncertain Times

I took this photo yesterday as I was walking beside the river. The autumn trees were turning, their beautiful colours mirrored in the still water. For a moment everything appeared calm, even though the current beneath was quietly moving on.

It made me think about how often we mistake stillness for stagnation, and movement for progress.

We live in a culture that celebrates forward motion. Busyness has become a proxy for worth, and reflection can feel almost subversive — a pause that needs to be justified. Yet without moments of stillness, our decisions lose their anchor. We end up responding rather than choosing.

I noticed this in myself recently. I’d been agonising over whether to take a short break. There was so much to do, and I felt guilty spending the money. In the end, I went, and it was exactly what I needed. A change of scene shifted my mood and my perspective in a way that staying put never could.

Standing by the river, I saw how the reflection only appeared when the surface was still. The slightest ripple blurred the image. Perhaps that’s true for us too. When life gets busy, the mind becomes choppy, and the insight disappears.

For many leaders I work with, this shows up as decision fatigue or a sense of being stuck even while moving fast. The calendar is full, but clarity is thin. Reflection isn’t about doing less, but about thinking differently, It's creating the mental space where patterns can surface, and intention can realign with action.

In times of uncertainty, that space becomes essential. When the path ahead isn’t clear, reflection steadies the compass. It helps us distinguish movement from progress, noise from signal, reaction from response.

For leaders, stillness is rarely easy, but it’s often the most strategic move available. When we take time to reflect, decisions sharpen, priorities align, and confidence grows even in uncertainty.

Sometimes the most important step isn’t forward, but inward. Reflection clears the water so we can see where to place our feet next.

If you'd like a coaching partner to reflect with, do get in touch.

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