The Tension

Much of the work we do is about working through the tension: the resistance, contradictions, trade-offs, and opportunity costs we all have to tussle with.

The Tension could be deciding how to best Fit In or Stand Out; figuring out when it’s time to Create or time to Capture; or how to go from Employee to Entrepreneur, and maybe back again.

Sometimes we know when to expect it; other times we have no idea when it will appear, or how it will manifest.

When we think about tension it’s usually in an uncomfortable or negative way.

It can get in our way or hold us up. It tells us we can’t do it, that this won’t work. It’s weird, they’ll hate it, we’ll fail.

What’s the point? Why bother?

But it can also hold us up and support us, and can even drive us forward.

We just need to recognise the tension, and find ways to utilise it.

This is a series on noticing, embracing, and harnessing the tension that shows up in the work we do, so we can get where we want to go.