What To Do When the Well Runs Dry
What do you do when the well runs dry? There are two choices. You could get to work selecting a new site and digging a new well. Or, you could continue using your own well, but dig a little deeper.
Depending upon the circumstances, either choice could be valid. Digging a new well can be tricky. You have to choose a new site, re-settle your belongings, and invest the time, effort, expense, and hard labor digging a new well without guarantees that you’ll locate groundwater. Choosing to remain also takes work, but it’s a different kind of work. It involves commitment, resilience, and a deep look within. The former effort requires you to look outward. The latter requires you to look inward.
If you’re reading these words on the internet, you probably don’t have to worry about the status of a well in your backyard. You can turn on the faucet and you have all the water you need. But, if you have ever sat at your desk daydreaming about finding another job, the well analogy is completely relevant.
When things go bad at work — conflicts flare, relationships sour, leads dry up, results lag, or revenue dips — our first impulse is to quit digging and find another well. But, what if the solution is to pause, take an inventory of the situation, look inward, and dig just a little deeper? In most situations, you don’t have to sell the homestead, relocate the family, and buy a new shovel. Here are a few tips about what to do when the well runs dry.
Adjust your perspective
Adjusting perspective is an inward process. It is all about self-awareness. As you take time to objectively take stock of what is happening around you, what is happening within you, and the effect it is having on you, you can begin to adjust your perspective. You can take responsibility for your own actions, give the benefit of the doubt to others, and regain your sense of purpose. Take time to adjust your perspective. It’s amazing how impactful it can be when you allow yourself the time and space necessary to regain perspective.
Deepen your insight
People with open and expanding minds tend to remain fresh and energetic. People who stop learning find it much more difficult to maintain a high level of engagement. Perhaps one of the reasons your well has begun to dry up is that you’ve stopped challenging yourself with new information. Buy a book. Subscribe to a blog. Stream a podcast. Watch a few TED Talks. Better yet, put together a learning plan and continue to feed your mind on a regular basis. You will be surprised at how deeper insight will impact your career.
Sharpen your skills
It’s human nature to discover processes and procedures that work and then to stick with them without variation. In a world like ours, one in which technology has accelerated the pace of change, we simply cannot afford to neglect the work of sharpening our skills on a regular basis. We must constantly challenge ourselves to learn new and better ways of doing things. Does your workplace offer training? Sign up. Is there a relevant online course? Enroll. Could you reach out to an expert and spend time gleaning from him or her? Pick up the phone. To put it bluntly, if your tools are dull, you’re working twice as hard for half the results. However, if you take time to sharpen your skills, you’ll accomplish twice as much in half the time.
Expand your network
Have you ever wrapped up a conversation with someone with a feeling of energy and excitement? Maybe they caused you to think of something in a new light. Perhaps they related a personal or professional struggle with which you identified. Maybe they encouraged you for something you did well or offered their sympathy for something you did poorly. When you’re feeling dry, one of the best things you can do is to give renewed emphasis to your network of personal and professional relationships. You’ll be surprised at the refreshment that can result from regular interactions with quality people.
When your career begins to run dry you may not need to scout for a new location. In fact, the fresh source of water you’re looking for might be just a few feet beneath your feet. But, it’ll take a new perspective, sharpened skills, deeper insight, and a thriving network.
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Do you need to dig deeper? At Rozzi and Associates, everything we do revolves around our desire to help good leaders become great. We would love to help you. Get in touch. Let’s talk about how we can help you dig a deeper well.