The Knot : Problems Can Be Solved

Most persistent problems-at work, in organizations, and in our own lives-aren't unsolvable. We've tried harder. We've optimized. We've worried about it.

And nothing changes.

This is the kind of stuckness that shows up for people who lead, create, and build-for those who care deeply, think clearly, and still find themselves going in circles.

Some challenges are situations outside our control, best met with acceptance. But others are real problems, capable of being changed. The trouble is, we often can't tell the difference.

That's because we're entangled.

An entanglement is a hidden commitment that creates conflict beneath the surface: wanting progress without risk, change without loss, or forward motion without letting go of who we were-or who we promised to become. When we want two incompatible things at the same time, effort doesn't help. We stay stuck.