Going In Circles - Grasshopper

I had a guy tell me in the locker room the other day that he was going in circles. I said, “Well, you’ll never get lost that way.” We both laughed.

Reflecting on that interaction later in the day, it struck me that if we’re going in circles, we won’t get found either.

 

Circles lead nowhere new. We just go round and around. We circle the wagons and don’t blaze any new trails.

 

Circles are habit patterns. Actions that we’ve grooved so adeptly into our daily lives that they run on their own power. And they take us to the same place every time ?" somewhere old.

 

Circles can seem like comfortable old slippers until we discover that the bottoms have been worn out from digging ourselves deeper into a rut.

 

We need an off ramp. That escape route is found by recognition. Recognize that you’re being run by an automatic routine rather than one of your own choosing. That’s the beginning step to mapping a new route.

 

Once you consciously recognize where you are, then, and only then, can you see that other options are available. The mistake we often make is to throw recognition into the circular file and blame someone or something else for our circuitous route. That practice just elongates your ride in the roundabout.

 

When you find recognition, you’ll also find another “R” word that will help you plot a new path: Responsibility. Take some responsibility for where you are. That helps you realize that if you found your way in, you can find your way out.

 

Recognition and responsibility lead you to a third “R” word that is a necessary mental condition to facilitate you escape: Resiliency.

 

Recognize that you have the resiliency to find your way forward and you’ll find yourself able to respond to whatever confines the circle presents.

 

Start thinking of the three “R” words as your GPS: “Getting Past Stuck,” and you’ll find your way more quickly into the winner’s circle.

 

All the best,