Clients often tell me, “I feel like I’m just running in circles.” They get very discouraged to encounter the same problems again and again. But circles are also part of life. We repeat many aspects of our lives. Eating, bathing, working, etc. Some circles happen within a few hours, and some span a longer time, but it’s not unusual to keep returning to the same place.
So how can we look at that differently? I’m proposing we turn our circles into upward spirals. Here’s something to try:
Step 1. Acknowledge the circle. Accept the reality that you will continue to return to this place.
Step 2. Ask yourself what is one thing you can do, so that the next time you return to this place in the circle, it won’t be quite so awful. Make it as small and simple as possible. After all, you’re going to keep coming back here, so you’ll have lots of opportunity to continue making tiny improvements.
Let me know how it goes!