Spinning Your Wheels
The Eagles penned it with the lyrics, “Don’t let the sound of
your own wheels drive you crazy.” As an example, my friend Larry came to see me
the other day. “The situation in the Middle East is just awful,” he said,
looking at me with utter despair, and running his hand through his hair. “And
our politicians are idiots.” I waited for him to continue his rant, which
included worry about everything from world peace to the weather, and finally,
how dismal the job market is for someone over 50.
Larry has been out of work for some time and is having trouble
focusing on the one thing that would make him feel better—his job search. There
is almost a false comfort in this approach. In the short term, people become
paralyzed by this tendency, and scatter their focus and energy over huge
issues, over which they have no control. It keeps them from dealing with the
immediate concern, and can be a kind of welcome distraction. But it won’t move
them forward on their goals.
Larry and people like Larry devote a lot of wasted
energy in complaining about their lack of a job rather than focusing on finding
one. Everyone knows a Larry.
The above post is taken from the Chapter "Spinning Your Wheels" in Focus Habits of Successful People.
No comments:
Post a Comment