Due for a reasonably important appointment, I would make the meeting on time if all went right.
Through lack of route planning and too much reliance on Google Maps, I was caught in the slip lane to the motorway going in exactly the wrong direction! Inconvenient roadworks on the Melbourne M1, lead to another missed opportunity to turn towards my destination. I was sucked into a flow which would take me away from my true objective.
I cursed the traffic, the technology, the heat outside and got upset. With the benefit of car airconditioning on a 30-degree day, I cooled down. I realised I had to accept that the erroneous decisions were all mine, and plan to get back on track.
With an extra 30 minutes to kill in traffic, I had time to think about how many times I had been in the wrong lane taking me away from my goals or stuck, unable to move forward. Earlier in the day, I’d had a conversation with a new coaching client who advised they were stuck too. Mentally unable to move forward.
Getting back on track
It seems I’m not alone in having to take stock once in a while, review where my decisions and behaviours were taking me and decide to change course.
Firstly, you have to contemplate your trajectory, assess where you will end up if you keep heading that way, re-evaluate where you want to be, then work out the best way to get there.
It reminds me of the old joke about the tourist asking for directions and is told ‘Well, if I were you, I wouldn’t start from here’.
But “here” is the only place we find ourselves, and it would be great to get a little more help and guidance in order to help ourselves than the poor tourist.
Contact me below to talk about a personalised coaching discussion to help you get unstuck and back on track.
Darren Sandford is Founder and Managing Director of Darren Sandford Consulting and Coaching. With extensive experience in IT, banking, finance and creative photography, he is a qualified trainer and assessor, and a business and personal coach. He works with organisations and individuals to enable them to unlock their potential and achieve results they hadn’t thought possible.
