Do you ever jump into motion without determining where it’s going to take you? If you do, you’ll probably waste time, energy and increase your stress. Learn what you can do to improve your chances of success and get to your destination more easily.

Transcription:
When I was growing up, my father and a neighbor would leave for work at about the same time. They’d drive the same route through rush hour traffic for several miles, before my father would exit. One day, the neighbor and my dad left at the exact same time. On the freeway, she wove in and out of traffic, trying to get ahead. My dad just stayed the course, going with the flow of traffic. When my father finally exited, the neighbor was only 1 car length ahead of him.

What about you? Do you ever try to get ahead by just staying in motion? Does it serve you? Motion without a reason doesn’t usually help. It just wastes time and energy, and keeps you stressed so you can’t think clearly.

It’s better to be deliberate and decisive instead of reactive. The neighbor was reactive, jumping from one lane to the other, looking for a fastest one. She took the short term view and just stayed in motion. It didn’t give her the results she wanted, as she could see from her relationship to my dad’s car, but she kept doing it anyway.

My father was deliberate, deciding to take the long range view, knowing that it was a myth that there would be a faster lane. He didn’t waste gas or let his frustration level climb, like the neighbor did.

My coaching tip is to think things through. This is true for any decision or action. Don’t just leap into motion and be reactive. You won’t get the results you want. Be deliberate and decide on your action ahead of time. And then stay the course. You’ll get to your destination easier, smoother and with a lot less wear and tear on your nerves.

Read the article that accompanies this video, Don’t Push the River.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart