I want to talk about a common phenomenon that we all experience - on the road, in our careers, and in life. I'm sure you've been there, but you're sitting in traffic, watching the lane next to you move a little faster. And what do you do?
It's like Office Space. You switch lanes, hoping to save some time and get ahead. But guess what happens next? The lane you are in starts speeding up, leaving you frustrated and stuck, right? You can feel it.
Life often throws obstacles in our path, just like that slow moving lane, and when we encounter challenges, and when we encounter challenges, we tend to look for an easier route, jumping from one option to another, seeking instant gratification, and we become what I like to call “jumpers.” We think we're making progress, but in reality we're only creating a cycle of frustration and stagnation.
Think about it, how many times have you abandoned a goal or project as soon as it became difficult? How many times have you been tempted to take the easy road, only to find yourself back at square one - because it was hard?
Well, it's time to break free from this pattern and embrace a different mindset, a mindset that leads to true progress and success.
Famous basketball coach, John Wooden has this quote that is super relevant here - Stay the course. When thwarted try again; harder; smarter. Persevere relentlessly. Albert Einstein said, In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.
Traffic may seem small and insignificant, but by constantly hopping from lane to lane, we condition our minds to accept that jumping from one thing to another is okay. We lose focus, we lose direction, and ultimately we lose sight of our true potential.
So here's the challenge. Start staying put. Embrace the frustration, the discomfort that comes with it, and condition your mind to say, “it's okay, i'll get there.”
Remember, seeing someone else seemingly get ahead faster doesn't tell the whole story. Success is not just about the speed of progress, but the quality of it.
So let's take a lesson from traffic and apply it to our careers to our life. Commit to that one lane, that lane that aligns with your goals, your passions and your dreams, and stop hopping around aimlessly.
In new hire training I used to tell the story of a field. At the end of your life you’re going to have this field that represents your life. It will either look like a prairie dog field with tons of little holes where you dug a little, then jumped, dug a little, then jumped, dug a little…OR it will have a very deep well filled with water that can serve others for generations to come.
It's time to let go of being a jumper. It's when we stay the course, confront the frustration head on, and push through that we build resilience, expertise, and ultimately, extraordinary results.
So let's start by embracing this simple exercise. The next time we find ourselves in traffic, stay in that one lane, resist the urge to jump and observe how it feels. Use this as a reminder that success requires focus. It requires patience and the willingness to face challenges head on, and by doing so, will not only accelerate our success, but also cultivate a mindset of unwavering determination.
As Winston Churchill put it…Success is not final, failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.” So keep going with resilience, patience, and focus. You have the power to shape your destiny, so go out there and make it happen.