1, #15 - Narrative Aircover

On Navigating Uncertainty - Estimated Read Time: 43 seconds.

Photo by Flynn Doherty on Unsplash

An essay I read last week has been the topic of at least half my conversations since then. In it, a long-time independent consultant provides an outline for life outside a traditional career track. Even if you’re not on that trajectory, the principles are broadly relevant. For instance, the author points out that when first stepping into freelance consulting, you don’t need a new, clearly defined job title—“I am an X for Y” or “I do XYZ for companies like ABC”—but you do need ‘narrative aircover.’ In other words, the story that you’ll tell people to explain what you’re doing, while you figure it out. This was the key insight for me: The power of a new story. By shifting the way that we think of ourselves (and describe ourselves to others), we can more comfortably navigate big transitions or even indefinite uncertainty. “I’m lost” is discouraging. “I’m exploring” is exciting. And given how quickly the world is changing around us, learning to tell these new stories seems more important than ever.

Insight inspired by:

Tom Critchlow

and his wonderful article, A map for indie living. Also,

Paul Millerd

for sharing it in his 50 links worth reading.