How to Navigate Adaptive Challenges
Discover how to transform uncertainty into opportunity by mastering adaptive challenges through faith, wisdom, and strategic thinking.
Life has a way of throwing us curveballs when we least expect them. Sometimes these challenges come with instruction manuals, clear solutions, and paths to follow. But other times? Well, other times you find yourself suited up to zipline over a rave while riding with a psychic, wondering how exactly you ended up in this mountains instead of the beach. Welcome to the world of adaptive challenges.
What Is an Adaptive Challenge?
An adaptive challenge is different from a technical problem. Technical problems have known and tested solutions, adaptive challenges require us to shake up the way we think and chart our own paths. These challenges have three defining characteristics:
1. There's no existing roadmap. You're facing ambiguous circumstances without a clear direction forward.
2. Success requires changing perspectives or behaviors. Simply working harder within old frameworks won't solve an adaptive challenge.
3. They push us beyond our comfort zones, creating natural resistance and discomfort as we navigate unfamiliar territory.
While uncomfortable, these challenges also offer great opportunities for growth, innovation, and transformation.
About the time we hitch-hiked off the reservation
Let me share a story that perfectly illustrates how adaptive challenges unfold in real life. My husband James had won an incentive trip to San Diego, and I was determined to make the most of our kid-free adult time. Being the spontaneous planner that I am (yes, that's an oxymoron), I booked us a zipline adventure at "La Jolla” Zip Zoom.
Now, here's where my first assumption led us astray. I assumed that anything named "La Jolla" would be located in the charming coastal city of La Jolla, a pleasant 20-minute drive from our hotel. Turns out, this particular “La Jolla” zipline adventure was actually nestled in the Palomar Mountains, a 90-minute and $80 Lyft ride away. James, bless his Certified-Financial-Planner heart, was less than thrilled with my lack of research that resulted in $160 in Lyft rides.
But the real adventure was just beginning. Our Lyft driver, Celeste, had psychic business cards hanging from her mirror and pink signs declaring her ability to read fortunes and tarot cards. As someone still sorting out my feelings about such spiritual matters, I found myself giving what my family calls "the Clauser Stare” a confused, slightly concerned expression we make when processing unexpected information. I believe we can pray to hear the voice of God, but Psychics do not pray to God, so who are they hearing? Yikes.
In any case, we arrived to the reservation with no cell phone reception, and Celeste informed us we were completely out of range for any ride-sharing pickups. She assured us that her "mother intuition" wouldn't let her leave us stranded.
As we waited for our zipline adventure to begin, I noticed the other visitors at the reservation campgrounds. First, some folks who looked like peaceful hippies. Then someone with curly, clown-colored hair. Then a woman with Medusa-like braids sprouting from her head. I found myself wondering: What's happening here?
Our zipline guide, Bianca, quickly solved the mystery. We had unknowingly arrived during "YOUtopia," a 5,000-person rave where attendees were invited to "celebrate themselves and express themselves without boundaries." The tribal members who lived on the reservation weren't particularly fond of this annual event, as it disrupted their peace and occasionally resulted in underdressed festival-goers wandering into woods filled with wild animals.
When it came time to leave, Celeste's psychic abilities and “motherly intuition” failed us completely, no answer when we called from the landline. Thankfully, two tribal members, Lonnie and Luke, offered to drive us to the nearest casino where we could get cell phone reception. These friendly family men refused our tips and restored our faith in human kindness, I believe God gave us them to help us navigate back to where we needed to be.
At the casino, James asked if he could play the slots while we waited for our ride. Given that I had already led us into a car with a psychic, through the middle of a rave, and into a hitchhiking situation, even though I’m a church leader I simply figured I didn't have much room to object. James put $20 into a slot machine and won $200, jackpot! His blood pressure levels returned to normal as that unexpected windfall eased the pain of our expensive mountain (rather than beach) adventure.
Our ride back was provided by Joel, a Jesus Christ-loving family man who shared stories of how his faith sustained his family through loss. Another gift from God, a large, Lyft-driving angel who delivered us safely back to the beach for a peaceful evening walk.
From Chaos to Clarity: Building Adaptive Capacity
Here’s the thing, I had no manual for navigating unexpected raves, or being stranded on a mountain. My old assumptions (that La Jolla Zip Zoom was in La Jolla, that cell service existed in all places, and more) had to be abandoned. We faced uncertainty, discomfort, and the need to rely on prayer, taking things one step at a time, consulting with one another, and the kindness of others. Yet through it all, we discovered resilience, experienced unexpected blessings, and created a story we'll laugh about for years to come.
So how do we build our capacity to navigate adaptive challenges with grace and wisdom? It starts well before the challenge even happens. It begins with cultivating personal and emotional maturity that serves as our foundation when everything else feels uncertain.
The Foundation: Two Must-Haves for Personal and Emotional Maturity
Cultivate Your Circle of Five
First, find your five. Have five trusted people in your life who speak both life and truth back to you. These aren't just cheerleaders or critics, they’re wise counselors who can help you process complex situations, challenge your assumptions, provide perspective when you're too close to a problem to see clearly, and help you to remain teachable well into your old age.
These relationships require intentionality. Look for people who demonstrate spiritual growth, listen without judgment, follow through on commitments, and ask thoughtful questions that prompt reflection. They are not people who say “what you should do is” but they are people who listen well and are willing to check in with you on goals you’ve set for yourself. They might include a pastor, a long-time mentor, a family member, friends, or colleagues who share your values.
The goal of these relationships is authentic sharing that fosters growth. Regular conversations should include questions like: How is your walk with Jesus? What would you like us to ask you about next week? What would you like us to be praying about? These connections anchor us in truth and provide stability when adaptive challenges threaten to overwhelm us.
Honor the Rhythm of Rest
Second, maintain Sabbath rest. Our culture celebrates endless productivity while squeezing out the sacred rhythms of renewal. Busyness severed from spiritual roots leaves us depleted and disconnected just when we need wisdom and clarity most.
God designed us for an ebb and flow of work and rest. When Jesus was asked, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" He answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent." Being with Jesus, resting in His presence, is something we should strive toward.
Practical rest might include guarding one Sabbath day each week for quiet calm, unplugging regularly from phones and computers, spending time outdoors moving slowly, and delighting your soul in God through worship, prayer, and Scripture. Rest anchors us deeper in the love of Jesus so we can pour out. We can’t pour from an empty vessel.
Navigating the Unknown: Practical Steps
From the foundation of emotional and spiritual maturity: finding your five and honoring the sabbath, we can approach adaptive challenges with wisdom and courage. Here are the steps to navigating an adaptive challenge.
1. Recognize this is an Adaptive Challenge. Have you face this before? If no, then it is an adaptive challenge.
2. Assemble Your Adaptive Challenge Response Team. Different perspectives and others who discern the voice of God’s direction, are invaluable when charting unknown territory. This can be your group of five or a completely different set of people. Do not navigate alone.
3. Pray. Pray together for wisdom, clarity, and alignment. Seek God's guidance and vision for the path forward. It’s ok if you do not get it exactly right, but be people who seek guidance from God.
4. Embrace Beginner's Mind. Approach options with openness to new possibilities and willingness to let go of old assumptions. Adaptive challenges often require us to release outdated mental models and embrace fresh perspectives.
5. Iterate and Learn. I can’t say enough, don’t work in a silo. Get feedback, test ideas, reflect on what works, and iterate based on what you discover. Adaptive challenges rarely have perfect solutions on the first try, they require experimentation, learning, and adjustment as you go.
There is a Gift Hidden in the Challenge
As Christian Women leaders, we must remember that God's ways are higher than our ways. Our flesh may decide to go zip-lining, but God is working through that to orchestrate connections. What looks like chaos, you know like finding ourselves zip-lining over a rave, might actually become lessons and blessings we never could have planned.
The tribal members who rescued us, the jackpot that eased our financial stress, the Christ-loving driver who became our angel—none of these were part of my original plan, yet they became the most meaningful parts of our adventure. Do not hear me say to gamble your way to happiness, but do hear me say there are blessings in every moment.
Adaptive challenges push us beyond our comfort zones precisely because that's where dependence on God can be felt the most and where growth happens. They force us to rely on God's provision rather than our own planning, to trust in His goodness even when circumstances feel chaotic, and to discover resilience we didn't know possible.
Meet the Writer: Jenn Clauser, Chief Innovation Officer, She Leads Church, LLC
An experienced Church Communications professional, passionate about curating content that calls hearts (Jeremiah 1:4-10). Jenn is the CEO of Clause and Clarity- a Clauser, LLC Company, which hosts collectives for Communications Ministry. Jenn also serve with She Leads Church, LLC creating new ways to connect with women who desire to lead in a Christ-like way whether that’s in the marketplace, church, non-profit, home, or more. Jenn facilities conferences and cohorts that connect women to Christ and to each other. Jenn has a B.A. in Communications and a Masters in Theological Studies. Jenn works within "She Leads Church," is passionate in prayer, is a second generation Texan, and calls Coker Methodist her Church home. If you want to see Jenn’s eyes light up, ask her about adventures, being outdoors, her husband, her daughters, their Australian shepherd, or their French bulldog.