Blog

What do you do when there’s nothing left you can do?

The transformation is already here. Artificial intelligence is changing the world of work, climate change is altering the foundations of our lives, and political turning points are shaking our certainties. Wars are once again being fought in the heart of Europe. And underlying it all is a crisis of meaning that is affecting more and more people.

What was considered certain yesterday is fragile today. Points of reference are becoming blurred. In their place come powerlessness, uncertainty, and cynicism — along with a longing for simple answers.

And yet, we once believed that the Enlightenment had made us more self-determined.

The Longing for a Simpler World

The ability to think for ourselves, to question things, and to tolerate complexity should actually be one of the great achievements of modern society. Yet, ironically, at a time when we have access to more knowledge than any generation before us, our willingness to engage with complexity seems to be declining.

We orient ourselves around news, half-truths, and algorithms. Around simple promises. Around explanations that can be consumed in just a few sentences. And increasingly around whatever somehow fits into our own everyday lives — without burdening ourselves with too many contradictions.

Because thinking for ourselves is demanding. Sitting with complexity is demanding. Developing our own opinion — one that has not already been formulated for us somewhere else — takes time. Time that already feels scarce in our everyday lives.

When Work Loses Its Meaning

Uncertainty does not remain confined to the realms of politics and society. It permeates our everyday lives. In economically uncertain times, less is invested and fewer new jobs are created. Companies cut costs, relocate activities abroad, or automate them. Artificial intelligence is accelerating this development even further.

At first, this is an economic question. But it is not only that. For many people, work is far more than a way to earn money. It provides structure, social connections, recognition, and — perhaps most importantly — identity. So what happens when work as we have known it disappears or changes radically?
Who are we then? And what do we do when we realize that we have no convincing answer to this question?

The first step could be surprisingly small:
Perhaps the answer does not lie in doing more. Perhaps we first need to do less.

For example, scrolling less. Today, our smartphones accompany us almost everywhere. They provide us with news, opinions, images, outrage, entertainment, and supposedly relevant information — around the clock. But how much of it do we really need?

What difference does yet another one of 1,000 makeup tips make in our lives? What does a B-list celebrity’s alcohol consumption bring to our lives?
What significance does a politician’s statement, shared thousands of times online, actually have for our day-to-day lives?

Thinking needs empty spaces. Reflection needs calm. Understanding does not emerge simply because information keeps flooding in. On the contrary: when we are constantly overwhelmed with information, we eventually have hardly any opportunity left to put it into perspective.

This is precisely where self-determination begins. Not merely hearing a statement, but understanding it. Grasping its meaning. Comparing it with our own experiences. This is the foundation of personal identity.

Those who lose this ability, who never pause to reflect, can eventually find themselves adopting other people’s thoughts with ease. This makes us susceptible to simple explanations, outrage, and promises of salvation of all kinds.

Transformation Begins with Less

We know this from nearly 30 years of working with companies around the world: transformation rarely means simply doing more of something.
It often begins with a conscious decision to do less. Less of what distracts us. Less of what we consume simply because it is offered to us. Perhaps this is also a good starting point for our own personal transformation.
Not installing the next tool. Not listening to yet another podcast. Not collecting even more information.

Instead, start by switching off your phone for half an hour. Every day. Half an hour in which nobody wants anything from us. No push notification, no algorithm, no headline, no comment.
Self-determination begins precisely there: with half an hour that belongs to us again, during which we can once again reflect on who we are and what we want.

Let’s give it a try. We have nothing to lose.

Best regards,
Michael Kres
ProMove TM