Connection

Finding Your Way When You Can’t See Clearly

March 22, 2026

What navigation can teach us about moving through uncertainty.

In life, weather systems constantly fluctuate – it’s not all sunny days with clear visibility. Navigators, such as pilots, sailors, and even hikers, often travel through fog, storms, or darkness when they can’t clearly see where they are going.

When they can’t access GPS or use external landmarks, they rely on a method called dead reckoning.

Rather than waiting until everything becomes clear, they use the information they already know – their last known position, their direction, and the steady reference points available to them – and then make small adjustments or course corrections.

They don’t need perfect visibility.

They just need a reference point and a way to keep orienting.

And interestingly, experienced navigators know that the worst thing to do in fog is panic or rush decisions. When visibility drops, the focus shifts to steady observation and making small adjustments.

Life transitions can feel similar.

There are times when our life circumstances change, and the path ahead simply isn’t clear anymore. 

A transition to parenthood.
A job ends.
A relationship shifts.
Moving to a new city or country.
Children grow up and leave home.
A project or identity that once defined your direction has come to an end.

And suddenly the map you were using doesn’t quite apply anymore.

In these moments we may interpret this feeling as being stuck or losing our way. 

But often what’s actually happening during this period of transition is that visibility has temporarily dropped.

An old chapter has ended and the new chapter hasn’t been fully formed yet.

You’re not stuck or lost – you’re still moving. But, you just can’t see the full landscape yet – and that can feel unsettling.

This is where the Connection Compass becomes useful.

Often we expect ourselves to move quickly. Be decisive. Know our end-goal.

However, as the most experienced navigators know, steady observation and making small adjustments are the best way to re-orient in times we can’t see clearly.

Rather than forcing a big decision, the Connection Compass helps you reconnect with the four reference points that steady you: 

  • Self – noticing what you’re feeling and what matters now.
    You may start recognising patterns of when you feel aligned, calm or clear –  and patterns of when you tension, fear or resistance. These moments become signals that help you navigate through change, and over time you begin to trust them and respond more intentionally.
    You may also notice when your values feel in alignment – and when they don’t. 

  • Nature – grounding yourself in rhythms bigger than the moment.
    Spending time in nature can remind you that life moves in rhythms and cycles – nothing stays in a permanent state.
    On a practical level, nature provides grounding in times of flux and supports both mental and physical health benefits.

  • Community – remembering you’re not navigating alone.
    During times of change, it can feel as though you’re alone in your experience. Yet, support is often available – whether structured, such as support groups (for example, mother’s groups for new mums), or informal, like talking things through with a trusted friend.
    Often, hearing your own thoughts aloud brings clarity. In times of transition, it helps to remember you don’t have to carry everything on your own.

  • Spirit – reconnecting with meaning and perspective.
    This might involve reflecting on the values that guide your decisions, or remembering the bigger picture when the moment feels overwhelming.
    It can also mean reconnecting with what gives your life a sense of purpose or direction.


Using the four reference points of the Connection Compass doesn’t instantly clear the fog. 

But when visibility has dropped, they help you regain your bearings.

Gradually, energy may begin to return and new possibilities start to appear. The next step becomes easier to recognise.

From there, the way forward becomes easier to see and you can make the next small, yet aligned, adjustment. And then the next.

Gradually, clarity returns – not because you forced answers, but because you stayed connected to your bearings as your landscape slowly revealed itself.

When life feels uncertain, you don't always need a new map

Sometimes you simply need a way to find your bearings again.

And that’s what the Connection Compass is designed to help you do.

Reflection

In times of transition, reflection becomes a way of reconnecting with what steadies us.

When visibility drops, it can be helpful to pause and ask:

  • What do I know right now?
  • What feels steady?
  • Where might I return to regain perspective?

Cherie Pasion

Cherie Pasion is the founder of Connection Compass, a framework that helps people re-orient when life feels off and respond with clarity and steadiness. Her work draws on lived experience, behavioural science, systems thinking, and nature-based practice. Cherie has led award-winning behaviour change programs supporting thousands of people across Australia and is an internationally published author.