Living in an ‘Age of the In-Between’: How to Design a Life in Motion

We haven’t arrived at the future — but we’ve already left the past.

The world feels suspended between fading systems and emerging realities. Work, identity, and institutions are all in flux. Long-held assumptions no longer hold, and the road ahead no longer offers clear signposts.

This is more than a temporary disruption. We’re living through an “age of the in-between”— a period as formative as it is uncertain. Like the Renaissance that followed the Middle Ages, it’s a time not defined by stability, but by possibility. New tools — from artificial intelligence to climate adaptation — are reshaping how we live, think, and lead. But the rules are still being written.

“In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” — Albert Einstein

This post explores how to design a life in motion — not by waiting for clarity, but by anchoring ourselves in values, cultivating intentional habits, and learning to move forward even while the future unfolds.

The Age of the In-Between

This era doesn’t fit into clean historical categories. It’s not a crisis in the traditional sense — yet it’s far from stable.

Politically, alliances shift, and trust erodes. Economically, growth persists without confidence. Socially, we’re still integrating the seismic aftershocks of the pandemic. Even our language struggles to describe the new normal — because it isn’t normal yet.

This in-betweenness feels disorienting because it lacks endpoints. But liminal periods often precede creative leaps. The Renaissance brought revolutions in art, science, and identity — not because it followed a plan, but because people dared to ask different questions while old answers collapsed.

“The future is not what it used to be.” — Paul Valéry

We are not just witnesses to change. We are its architects.

How External Volatility Reshapes Internal Lives

It’s tempting to treat global instability as something “out there.” But increasingly, it becomes personal.

Career paths that once looked linear now feel uncertain. Long-term plans are postponed, not from apathy, but because the road ahead is hazy. Underneath this uncertainty lies a deeper shift: identity itself begins to evolve.

People ask new questions: Not just: “What’s next in my career?”, but: “What kind of person am I becoming — and how does my work reflect that?”

Old roles feel too narrow. External validation loses its grip. Instead, we start looking inward for alignment: Am I living according to what truly matters?

“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” — Viktor Frankl

Uncertainty becomes a kind of forge. It dissolves inherited scripts and offers us the rare chance to write our own.

From Drifting to Designing: Tools for Moving Forward

In liminal times, the question isn’t: When will things return to normal?
It’s: How do we navigate with clarity while everything is still in motion?

Here are three strategies to help:

Move from Plans to Principles

In unstable times, rigid plans crack under pressure. But values — our core principles — hold.

So instead of asking, What should I do?, ask: What do I want to stand for, no matter what happens?

Let your principles act as a compass. When the map disappears, they still point north.

“When the map is useless, follow the compass.” — Strategy aphorism

Conduct Periodic Life Audits

Just as organizations regularly reassess strategy, individuals can recalibrate direction [intentional life audit]. This isn’t a crisis response — it’s a proactive habit.

Ask: What’s still working? What feels outdated? What aligns with who I’m becoming?

Regular audits reduce drift. They sharpen intention and make room for strategic letting go.

Practice Micro-Moves that Reinforce Self-Authorship

We often overestimate the power of big decisions and underestimate the impact of small, intentional ones.

Each time we choose how to spend an hour, where to focus energy, what to say yes (or no) to — we reinforce a sense of authorship over our path.

“Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response.” — Viktor Frankl

It’s in that space that self-authorship lives. When we act with purpose — even in small ways — we reclaim the ability to shape our direction.

Final Thoughts

The in-between isn’t a void. It’s a crucible.

Like the dawn before a new era, it offers no guarantees — only the opportunity to shape what comes next. Whether you're leading an organization or reimagining a life, the question is the same: How do I move forward without knowing exactly where I’m going?

We won’t always have answers. But we can resist paralysis. We can design with intention, grounded in values that endure — and move forward, one conscious step at a time.

“You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.” — André Gide

This isn’t the end of the story. It’s the creative middle. And what we choose to build here — in motion, without perfect clarity — will shape the world we step into next.