I don’t know about you, but I’m not a big fan of mud or being stuck.
Especially the feeling that I’m sitting in the driver’s seat and all I have is wheel spin with mud flying EVERYWHERE.
Driver’s Seat
There I am in the driver’s seat, which means wherever I got stuck is my own fault!
Here are a few things to avoid while stuck:
- Blame the navigator (or anyone for that matter)
- Get out and walk away
- Continue to put your foot down on the accelerator
Wheel Spin
It is always amazing that the thing that allows us to go forward – often FAST – is the exact same thing that gets me EVEN more stuck.
This is probably why my first attempt to become “un-stuck” is to put my foot down on the accelerator.
How about you? When you are stuck, do you:
- pretend you aren’t
- downplay the situation
- continue to do the things that aren’t working
Mud
I’m not sure what it is about mud that I despise so much, it is probably the accumulation of all the little inconveniences and messes it causes.
Any one of them would just be a minor thing that I could ignore, but all together? YECH!
- Trying to clean up the mess takes extra effort
- When you think it’s all clean, there is that one spot you missed
- No matter what, eventually there will be more mud
Now the big question – did I choose to be here?
Notice the question isn’t “how did I get here”! Instead look at the choices and decisions you’ve made over the past month, quarter, year, or career and ask:
Was it:
- action or inaction
- decision or default
- fight or flight
- attention or inattention
The decisions we make (or choose not to make) may be the cause of how we ended up stuck in the mud. For me, choosing to live on a dirt road certainly has something to do with the amount of mud in my world both spring & fall!
I do have good news.
Neither being stuck nor being muddy are permanent!
The keys are:
- take your foot off the gas
- step out of the car and get your feet muddy
- figure out how to become UN-stuck (it might get you even dirtier than you are right now)
- slowly move forward
In some cases, you’ll need some help from a friend for strategy.
Other times, a couple of people pushing from behind while you slowly apply the gas works.
Finally, you might need a tow truck to become unstuck.
Stop spinning your wheels, start figuring it out. Regardless of how you get out, it’s still up to you.
With muddy boots,
Lynn