Getting in a Groove

Have you “found your groove” lately? Or are you hoping to “get into your groove” soon? People talk about “hitting their stride” and “being in a groove” as this great goal - and it is - to a point. But there is a darker side to “finding your groove” that I don’t hear discussed very often.

I am sure you have heard people admit they felt “stuck in a rut” too, but what they probably didn’t mention, or maybe even recognize, was the “rut” they feel trapped in now was once the “groove” they so diligently sought. They got comfortable, then they got complacent, maybe even bored, and now the groove they cherished has been worn down into a deep rut from which they feel they can’t escape. Sometimes the only different between a groove and rut is how long you stay there.

When settlers started moving out West, the now famous Oregon Trail was only passable on foot or horseback, used by primarily fur traders originally. As the popularity of westward expansion grew, a wagon trail was cleared in the mid-1830s and became the route used by nearly half a million settlers, traders and miners for the next several decades. The trail became so popular and often-used that in some areas, wagon wheels wore deep ruts into the trail, even cutting into rocks. The ruts were so deep in some places that a wagon would be essentially trapped in the trench carved out by previous wagons. If an obstacle were to block the path, the wagon would not be able to steer around it. The wagon would need to be partially dismantled to remove it from the rut and repositioned on the opposite side of the obstacle. The lack of freedom and flexibility also left traveling settlers vulnerable to an attack.

A groove, if you remain there too long, becomes a comfort zone. A comfort zone is just a step away from being a rut. A rut steals your freedom, your flexibility and leaves you vulnerable. Don’t get me wrong, it feels great to “find your groove," and it’s very difficult to avoid the temptation of settling into that groove and getting comfortable, but you have to resist that urge. You must surround yourself with people who will challenge you and hold you accountable. You have to be willing to accept feedback and criticism you may not want to hear. You must continue to stretch yourself. I hope you do “find your groove," but please, don’t stay there for long.

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