There is a Russian proverb that says, “By chasing two rabbits, you will catch neither.”
How many times in life do you feel like you are chasing two or more rabbits? These rabbits could be your job, obligations, things you feel like you are “supposed” to do, distractions, family commitments, etc. And, in the midst of chasing everything you catch nothing.
I can remember a time in my life when I felt this way. I was so stressed out. And, I felt I could never catch up or reach the thing I was striving for, because as soon as I would get one thing done, something else would come up.
I call this the hamster wheel of life. The one where you get on and keep running, only to realize you can’t reach a destination or achieve a result. Then, you find out you are stuck and don’t know how to get off.
But, what if you found a way to slow down enough to get off the wheel to discover where you should go next instead of wandering aimlessly?
Getting off the Wheel
I remember when I finally slowed down enough to take assessment of my life and get off the wheel. In 2018, I served as a regional director for an organization. What started out as a passion, began to overwhelm me, making me feel frustrated, irritable, and stressed.
It was only when I realized I was on a wheel that I decided to slow down and get off. This wasn’t an easy decision, but I recognized it was either me or the wheel (and I chose me). There may be things in your life that are running your life, but not helping you to get where you want to be.
Taking time to recognize if something is draining you can be the first step in realizing you may be on a hamster wheel. But, guess what? There is hope and you can find a way to get off.
Finding Your One Thing
After you are able to get off the hamster wheel of confusion, it is good to regain your bearings and take some time to get some clarity on what you should be chasing. For me, it took me leaving my job to transition to another one just to allow me the space to dream, create a vision, and clarify the vision of what I should be chasing.
This didn’t happen overnight. In fact, it took over a year of a less stressful situation to allow me to breathe and rediscover myself.
What are the things I am passionate about? What did I want my life to look like in one, two, five, ten years? And what were the ways I could use my talents and abilities to serve others?
Letting Go of Distractions
Over this year of my life, I was able to find the clarity I needed to move forward. This lead me to moving back to my hometown, starting a business, deepening relationships, and begin to develop skills I needed to go and grow forward (which I’m in the process of doing).
To avoid going on different “bunny trails” I had to focus my time and attention on the rabbit I was supposed to be chasing. Of course, as soon as I started focusing on one thing other rabbits tried to distract me or get in my way. It is in those times where I had to remind myself of the vision I’m chasing and fully focus on my one thing.
Where are you today?
Are you the hamster on the wheel?
Have you gotten off the wheel and are trying to figure out where you should go next?
Do you have clarity and direction?
Are you working to remove distractions to fully focus on your one thing?
Wherever you are, just remember life is too short to be chasing all kinds of rabbits. Do yourself a favor, get off the hamster wheel and figure out what you should be doing. Then, chase that one thing with reckless abandonment. You won’t regret it!
How can I support you in getting off the hamster wheel? Comment below or e-mail me at beinspired@christypennison.com
BE INSPIRED
