What If the Breakthrough Isn’t the Choice, but the Meaning Behind It?

But in a recent session with my coach, I saw something more accurate. My hesitation had very little to do with the actual decision. The complexity wasn’t external. It was internal. I had attached meaning to the decision that had nothing to do with the decision itself.

I believed that choosing the next step would define something about my identity, my readiness, or my credibility. And with that meaning attached, the decision carried more weight than it needed to.

Once I recognized this, the tension changed immediately. The choice wasn’t heavy. The meaning I had placed on it was heavy.

This is the essence of vertical development:
We stop treating the decision as the issue and start examining the interpretation we’ve built around it.

When the interpretation shifts, the decision becomes clearer — not because the path changes, but because we’re no longer projecting extra narratives onto it.

Here’s what I’m practicing now:

Before I engage with a decision, I ask myself what meaning I’ve assigned to it.
Am I treating it as a test? A signal? A verdict? A measure of worth or readiness?
Or is it simply a choice among viable options?

When I separate the meaning from the action, I can see the situation more accurately. And from there, the next move becomes straightforward.

If you find yourself stalled at a decision point, consider this:
The barrier may not be uncertainty about the choice. It may be the meaning you’ve attached to what the choice represents.

When that meaning becomes visible, the breakthrough happens — often quietly, but decisively.

Until next time - unlearning with you,

Natasa