Waiting on a Stalled Project Approval? The Waiting Hexagram’s 5 Stages – Which One Are You In?

Last year, a friend who works in hardware came to me. His product was stuck in the qualification approval process for four months. He said that every day for those four months, the first thing he did in the morning was refresh the system, and the last thing he did at night was refresh it too. He lost ten pounds, but the project didn’t move an inch.

I told him, “You’re not waiting. You’re standing in mud.”

In career scenarios, the toughest takeaway from the Waiting Hexagram isn’t “be patient.” It breaks waiting down into five positions, each with its own way of waiting.

Wait in the wrong position, and it’s not just wasted time — it invites trouble.

Clouds in the Sky, No Rain Yet

The Waiting Hexagram is Kan / The Abysmal above and Qian / The Creative below. Clouds above, sky below.

The Xiang Commentary says: “Clouds rise above the sky; this is Waiting. The superior person takes nourishment in food and drink and finds joy in rest.”

Clouds have piled up, thick and heavy, but the rain hasn’t fallen yet.

What do you do then? “The superior person takes nourishment in food and drink and finds joy in rest.” Eat, drink, rest.

This phrase is widely misunderstood. Many people think it means to lie flat and give up. It doesn’t.

It means: when conditions aren’t ripe yet, taking good care of yourself is the most productive thing you can do.

The Hexagram Judgment says: “有孚 (Sincerity and Trust), 光亨 (Penetrating brightness), 贞吉 (Perseverance brings good fortune). 利涉大川 (It furthers one to cross the great water).”

“有孚” means having inner certainty. “光亨” means the path will light up. “贞吉” means holding steady brings smooth progress. “利涉大川” means you will cross the river in the end.

Pay attention to the order. First comes sincerity and trust, then penetrating brightness. If you have no inner certainty, you’ll fall apart after three days of waiting.

Five Positions, Five Ways of Waiting

The six lines of the Waiting Hexagram divide waiting into five stages.

初九 (Nine at the Beginning): “需于郊。利用恒，无咎。” (Waiting in the outskirts. It furthers to be constant. No blame.)

Waiting in the outskirts. You’re still far from the matter at hand, and far from trouble too. This is the most comfortable position, but also the easiest to let your guard down. “Being constant” means keeping your rhythm. Do what you need to do, don’t stop.

九二 (Nine in the Second Place): “需于沙。小有言，终吉。” (Waiting on the sand. Small talk arises. Good fortune in the end.)

Waiting on the sand. The ground under your feet starts to feel soft, and people start gossiping. “Small talk arises.” But the end is good fortune.

九三 (Nine in the Third Place): “需于泥。致寇至。” (Waiting in mud. Brings bandits.)

Waiting in mud. This is the most dangerous position. Mud traps you, and standing stuck in mud is like sending a signal to bandits: “Here’s someone who can’t move.”

六四 (Six in the Fourth Place): “需于血。出自穴。” (Waiting in blood. Coming out of the cave.)

Blood has already been shed. But “coming out of the cave” — climbing out of the pit. This is the worst stage, but also the turning point.

九五 (Nine in the Fifth Place): “需于酒食。贞吉。” (Waiting with wine and food. Perseverance brings good fortune.)

Waiting at the feast. Conditions are almost ripe. Eat and drink as you please, and restore your state. This is the best position in waiting.

上六 (Six at the Top): “入于穴，有不速之客三人来，敬之终吉。” (Entering the cave. Three uninvited guests arrive. Treat them with respect, and good fortune comes in the end.)

You fall into a hole, and three uninvited guests show up. Treat them with respect, and the outcome is auspicious.

Your Friend Is Standing in Mud

My friend went through all four positions, but in the wrong order.

The first month, he was in the outskirts. Good — he pushed forward with other product lines as usual.

The second month, he started walking onto the sand. Peers began spreading rumors that his funding chain was in trouble. “Small talk arises.”

The third month, he stepped into the mud. He started calling people every day to rush the process, asking contacts for updates, and getting people to pass messages for him. That’s “bringing bandits” — the moment he started fidgeting, everyone knew he was desperate. When you’re desperate, other people set the price.

The fourth month, he was in blood. He took out a high-interest loan to tide him over.

I said, “You’re not waiting for approval right now. You’re waiting for a disaster.”

Three Things to Fear in Waiting for Career Matters

First: mistaking “checking progress” for “making progress.”

Refreshing the system, asking for updates, scrolling through group chats to see if anyone mentions you. These actions all have one thing in common: they make you feel like you’re doing something, but you’re just draining yourself.

The Waiting Hexagram says “it furthers to be constant.” Constancy is rhythmic consistency, not frequent anxiety.

Second: calling for help while stuck in the mud.

Why does the third line say “brings bandits”? Because you’re stuck, and you let everyone see you’re stuck.

In career matters, the most valuable thing isn’t time — it’s bargaining power. The moment you panic, you lose it.

Third: being worn out by the time conditions finally arrive.

The line “waiting with wine and food” at the fifth position is the most easily overlooked part of the Waiting Hexagram.

Many people push through the first four stages, and when the conditions finally come, their health breaks down, their team falls apart, and their drive is gone.

The thing you’ve been waiting for arrives, but you can’t take it on anymore.

Three Actionable Rules for Waiting in Career Scenarios

First: identify your position first, then decide your actions.

Ask yourself: am I in the outskirts, on the sand, in the mud, or in blood right now?

If you’re in the outskirts, keep your rhythm. Don’t stop, don’t panic.

If you’re on the sand, watch your mouth. Don’t explain. Explaining is admitting.

If you’re in the mud, stay quiet, keep a low profile, and prepare an escape route at the same time.

If you’re in blood, stop the bleeding first. Don’t negotiate terms.

Second: set a deadline for your waiting.

“Sincerity and trust” isn’t blind faith. Blind faith turns into self-deception.

What I do is write down: “If there’s no progress by [date], I’ll switch to Plan B.” Write it down, sign the date. This isn’t a lack of faith — it’s a lifeline for yourself.

Third: do something unrelated to what you’re waiting for while you wait.

The Waiting Hexagram talks about food, drink, and joy. Translated into modern terms: shift your focus from “the outcome” back to “the person.”

My friend did something pretty smart later on. He spent those four months rewriting the product manual and went to give free training to three potential clients. The day the approval came through, he already had five tentative orders in hand.

He said, “I thought I was just waiting those four months, but actually I was building up stock.”

Put It Plainly

The Waiting Hexagram doesn’t say “waiting will make you win.” It says “only those who know how to wait will win.”

Clouds are in the sky — it will rain sooner or later. But when the rain falls, there need to be seedlings in the ground.

If you’re standing in the mud, the rain will just soak you and make you sink deeper.

Remember these five positions: outskirts, sand, mud, blood, wine and food.

In career matters, you don’t judge a person’s ability by how busy they are. You judge it by where they stand when they’re waiting.