Blog Repost from Susan’s podcast October 2020: I found a story in a book that came as a lesson at just the right time—you’ve maybe heard the saying, ‘When the student is ready, the teacher appears’. It was an eye-opening lesson written in the form of a parable, and now I read it to coach clients who are stuck or spinning in one spot.
Have you ever felt like you are spinning in place? Going nowhere fast? Maybe even right now?
You can listen to this audio recording or continue reading – both are the same content 🙂
Brendon Burchard’s parable ‘Life’s Golden Ticket’ shares a story told in one chapter (page 124) by Squirt, the bumper boat operator at a Fair or Show, the kind with ferris wheels and the like.
Squirt said there are two kinds of kids (when it comes to bumper boats).
There are spinners and the sailors.
‘The sailors are the kids who hop into the boat and head for open water – they’re the explorers. They have a dream, and they set out for it. They’re the dreamers and doers. They know exactly where they want to go. And no matter what bumps into them, they get there because they keep steering in that direction. They’re the ones you’ll hear screaming, “Get out of my way!” The sailors are vocal about what they want.
Once the sailor gets to the other side, they’ll come back and have fun bumping other boats. When I blow my whistle, letting everyone know the time is up, sailors always end up on the other side of the pool from where they started. They gladly hop out of their boats because they got what they wanted. They got their goal, and they got to have fun bumping other boats.
Squirt stopped and scanned the pool. He pointed out a little boy spinning in a circle.
Then you’ve got the spinners. The spinners … well, actually, they start just like the sailors. They also want to head for open water. But as soon as everyone gets going, the spinners quickly realise there are a lot of other people in the pool. They realise how hard it is to steer.
So the spinner does something unique. The spinner makes an assumption: it’s hard to steer my boat without bumping into other people, so I won’t be able to make it to the other side. Spinners give up quickly. They say, “Well, I guess I can’t make it to the other side, so I’ll just have fun here by myself and spin’. They might even bump into a few people.
They do something that is entirely unhelpful to their original goal, and everyone else’s goal: they spin in one place, bumping and blocking everyone from getting to the other side, without even knowing it. Most of the time spinners spin quietly. When I blow the whistle for everyone to stop, they’re the last ones to dock, and they’re almost always disappointed with their ride.’
Brendon Burchard, Life’s Golden Ticket
Have you ever felt like you’re spinning in place?
There are plenty of ways to become more productive and motivated: Yes, I know, you say. So, what is standing in your way?
How do you personally master change?
If Your Main Obstacle Didn’t Exist, How Would Your Life Look?
You know there are possibilities or options, we all know that, don’t we. For most people, it’s fear. We get so stuck in that space that we think there is no way out. How would it feel without that challenge?
Like me, maybe now is the day to stop and think, or feel free to book a one-off coaching session and let’s brainstorm it together. Having someone to talk to, who will listen, will allow the brain to bridge the gap, and that opens us up to finding a solution.
Thank you for reading. I hope you got something out of this shared lesson.
Take Care,
Susan