Treading Water?
Returning home a few months ago has been an opportunity for lots of deep reflection, causing me to review a couple of key questions.
What do the next ten years look like?
Where am I really heading before retirement?
Recently, I was in a deep conversation with a dear friend.
He mentioned a phrase that really resonated with me.
He said โIt sounds like you are just ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ญ๐๐ซโฆโ
I discovered the phrase has a couple of meanings.
Firstly, it means โto float vertically in the water by moving the legs and the arms up and down.โ
Itโs a survival skill and itโs definitely not sustainable for too long.
Secondly, โnot to be advancing in any wayโ suggesting lots of continuous effort, yet with little forward momentum.
In essence, its lots of hard work, expending energy, yet, remaining static and I could relate to that.
Have you found yourself in this sort of space before, hoping that you are doing all the right things, but not feeling any progress?
Does it look like this?
โข ๐น๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ โ Feeling like every day is similar to the last, with no real forward movement.
โข ๐ฌ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ โ Working hard but unsure whether itโs leading anywhere meaningful.
โข ๐ช๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ โ Engaged in things, yet wondering if the time and energy is truly well spent.
So, what can you do when you sense youโre treading water?
1. ๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ก๐ฒ๐ญ๐ก๐ฆ โ Instead of just keeping things going, consider new ways of thinking, working, or living.
2. ๐๐๐ญ ๐ ๐ง๐๐ฐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง โ Itโs hard to measure progress, if you donโt have a clear direction. So, what does real movement look like for you?
3. ๐
๐จ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐ก, ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง โ Sometimes, we need to dive deeper rather than push harder. Learning, reflection, and seeking inspiration can unlock new paths.
4. ๐๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ โ Not all movement is visible, Iโve learned to be patient. Some seasons prepare us quietly for whatโs next.
If you feel like youโre treading water, ask yourself: ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐?
The answer might just change everything…