Are You Spinning Your Wheels? 7 Ways to Tell You’re Staying Stagnant

So here you are, again. You’re faced with a problem or issue and you’ve been at it for a while now… You always think you’re solving it, always working hard, but never getting anywhere. Does this sound familiar? If so, you may be spinning your wheels.

Here are some other signs that you need to stop to reevaluate some things before you continue:

1. You keep switching plans or switching goals

   You have a new goal each week that you’re working towards… and with each new goal comes a new plan of action.

2. You are feeling pretty lost

   You lack direction either because you have not determined the direction you want to take or you’re choosing not to take it.

3. Excessive internet searching

   Google is your best friend. Or perhaps a social media site. Either way, you keep looking for answers from the World Wide Web instead of getting more introspective and meditative about your situation.

4. You’ve stopped talking to people about your project

   You’ve told so many people so many different goals/plans that you’ve had over this time that you’ve finally stopped talking about it so that you don’t let anyone down.

5. You justify everything

   Well, this time you’re taking this road because of this reason…. and then you stopped to take another road for this other reason… and then you decided that the first road you were on was probably best, as it turns out, so your get back on there… but then you decide to do it a bit differently because it just makes sense, right??

6. You’re being guided by one of the “7 Deadly Sins!”

   Perhaps you’re being guided by  wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy, or gluttony?

7. Relentless action

   When was the last time you stopped to smell the roses? Has it been a while since you’ve taken some time away from work during your “working hours”?

   Albert Einstein has been quoted saying “the significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.” Take a look at your situation. Perhaps you’re spinning your wheels because you’re using the same tool that dug you into your problem (same thinking) that you are using to dig yourself out?

   What are some other ways you’ve found that you might be spinning?