Peeling the Infinite Onion

“Realize that now, in this moment of time, you are creating. You are creating your next moment. That is what’s real.”
–Sara Paddison

 

 

 

 

As I mentioned in my previous blog entry (The Next Step), the road ahead for my team will be tougher than that we’ve encountered to date.  Our strategy must pass the scrutiny of a key executive at NASA Headquarters and adhere to a recent memorandum issued by the Obama Administration.  With that, we know our destination, but have no roadmap on how to get there.

At times, it sure seems like we’re peeling the infinite onion.

My team’s lifeblood is knowledge and information.  Last week, I felt that I had gathered as much of both that was available, and was ready to commit the team to a particular course of action.  A fortuitous meeting with a very experienced mentor led me to reassess that position and my own thoughts on the matter.  I even tweeted about it:

“Meeting over. Turned out to be ‘eye opening’ in that my team and I have a tremendous amount of work to do to solve our biggest challenge.”

I’m constantly examining my position relative to various courses of action.  I’m compelled by a sense of “what’s right” versus wrong.  Yet time and time again, situations remind me that our strategic planning is not black and white.  It’s not right or wrong.  It will be the best plan to suit the needs of my organization and of NASA and will be fiscally responsible with the America taxpayer dollar.  The best plan will be revealed as part of the unfolding of the universe, and as such will take time and cannot be rushed.

When I reflect upon the above, I find a sense of peace and reassurance that we’re on the right path.  Sure, at times it may seem like we’re peeling the infinite onion, yet in actuality we’re not.  With each passing moment, another facet in the plan is revealed.  Soon we will have enough information to build a strategy rooted in completeness, thoroughness, and self-consistency, and when we reach that point, we will know it.