Dead Reckoning

How to Move Forward When Clarity Is Incomplete

There are moments at sea when you don’t have all the information you’d like. No visible land. Cloud cover hiding the stars. Limited reference points beyond what you last knew to be true. In those moments, sailors rely on something called dead reckoning.

  • It isn’t guesswork.
  • It isn’t reckless.

It’s choosing to move forward based on the best information you have, while trusting that clarity will come with time and course checks along the way.

That lesson didn’t just shape how I sail. It’s shaped one of the most important seasons of my life.

What Dead Reckoning Really Is

Dead reckoning is the practice of estimating your position based on:

  • Your last known location
  • Speed
  • Direction
  • Time

It assumes imperfection. But it also assumes standing still is not neutral.

At sea, choosing not to move doesn’t stop the journey—it simply hands control over to the current. Life works the same way.

When Standing Still Feels Safe—but Isn’t

Over the last five years, I experienced anxiety for the first time in my life. It was confusing—because on paper, everything looked good.

My career was strong. I had an incredible family and a loving wife. There was no obvious reason to feel unsettled.

And yet, I felt a persistent anxiety that I couldn’t shake. I knew what it was—but I didn’t want to face it.

Suppressing the Call

Deep down, I felt God leading me toward a different path.

  • One that was uncertain.
  • One that was uncomfortable.
  • One that required obedience instead of control.

That scared me.

So instead of leaning into it, I suppressed it. I focused harder on my work—on what I could control. I stayed busy. Productive. Successful.

But something else happened. I became stagnant in my faith. I wasn’t moving forward—and if I’m honest, I may have been drifting backward.

Like a boat sitting still in current, I hadn’t stopped moving. I had just stopped navigating.

Dead Reckoning in Real Life

Dead reckoning doesn’t wait for certainty. It says:

Move with what you know. Check your course. Adjust as you go.

Eventually, I realized that avoiding the unknown wasn’t keeping me safe—it was keeping me stuck.

  • This website.
  • This blog.
  • This voyage.

They are real-life examples of dead reckoning.

I don’t know exactly where this path leads. I don’t have every answer. I don’t see the full horizon yet.

But for the first time in a long time, I am moving forward again.

Trusting Direction Over Certainty

Dead reckoning isn’t about blind faith. It’s about:

  • Trusting what you know to be true
  • Listening to wise counsel
  • Paying attention to internal conviction
  • Being willing to adjust when clarity increases

It’s not reckless to move forward when God is clearly prompting you.

What’s dangerous is pretending you don’t hear the call.

Course Checks Still Matter

Dead reckoning works because sailors don’t stop paying attention.

They check bearings. They reassess. They adjust when new information appears.

In life, that looks like:

  • Prayer
  • Scripture
  • Mentors
  • Honest conversations
  • Humility to course-correct

Movement without reflection is dangerous. Reflection without movement is stagnation.

Dead reckoning holds both together.

Leadership, Faith, and Forward Motion

Whether you’re leading a family, a team, or simply trying to live faithfully—there will be seasons where clarity lags behind obedience.

That doesn’t mean you’re lost. It often means you’re being invited to trust.

Not in the outcome—but in the One guiding the journey.

Final Thought: Don’t Fear the Unknown—Fear Stagnation

Dead reckoning doesn’t promise certainty. It promises movement with purpose.

For the first time in years, I don’t feel stagnant. I don’t feel suppressed. I feel aligned.

I’m moving forward—taking wise counsel, trusting what I know, and stepping into the purpose God has placed on my life.

The horizon may still be unclear. But the direction is not.

And sometimes, that’s exactly how meaningful voyages begin.