Gettin’ Gritty
Ugh. Stuck. Ever felt that way? It can really drain you. How do you move forward in cement?
“Keep looking forward.” “Look to the future.” “Don’t look back.”
We often hear these phrases, as well as how much advice our older selves would have for our younger selves. “If I knew then what I know now…”
While I understand the intentions, there can be a lot of value in the past. We can actually forget that looking intentionally at the past can be beneficial at times. Today, I was able to experience that in a meaningful, timely, and exhilarating way!
There I was, sitting in cement. An important development project needed to move forward. So I started the mental inundation. “Come on. Get Gritty. This is part of great progress. Think forward. Lean in and focus, think forward…”
Several cups of coffee and hours later, I was fed up. I had “thought forward” and “leaned in” until I wasn’t gettin’ gritty, I was gritting my teeth! Frustrated, my mind roamed to work I had done several years earlier in my career. It went to some easier projects. The projects themselves weren’t easier, but because I possessed that “out of the gate” enthusiasm for heading out into a career field unaware of the minefields and unhindered by the “can’t” personalities, they seemed easy. And, then…
There. It. Was. Although alone, my relief and surprise were audible. “Oh my goodness! Why didn’t I think of that earlier?!” It turns out that my young, enthusiastic self was able to teach me something today, even from another career field.
Guess what I’m doing now? Gettin’ gritty. With a smile on my face. The next time you find yourself stuck, might I suggest you look back to move forward?