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There are times in most businesses and lives when nothing much is happening. Nothing creative. No innovations.  No new directions. From the outside all is quiet. The challenge is working out what is happening on the inside.

Are you stuck – and have no idea which way is the best way forward, but can’t go backwards either? Are you in a holding pattern where you have to wait for other planes to land before you can make your move? Are you just part of a natural rhythm of nature and are lying fallow at present but with the spring warmth will burst into bud? Or are you procrastinating – knowing what you could be doing, but for whatever reason (usually fear) you teeter on the edge – not willing to take the leap into your future?

Looking in from the outside, each of these patterns look the same. But looking out from the inside the scene is very different. Each view of the world is coloured by a different emotion. Stuckness has a confused, heavy quality to it. Holding patterns can start as quiet resignation, but can turn to irritation or frustration if the wait is too long. Lying fallow usually feels slow and gentle. Procrastination feels unsettled and like a burr under your skin.

Getting out of each state into action also has its differences. Stuckness needs insight, wisdom and pathfinding. You can’t move from stuckness to action just by force of will alone. Getting out of a holding pattern before the other planes have moved is a recipe for disaster, so the only two choices you have are to learn the art of patience or find a different landing strip. Trying to move from fallow to full production before the conditions are right means a measly harvest if at all. The only way out of lying fallow is waiting for the change in the seasons. Moving from procrastination to action requires facing the fears down and taking action anyway.

So if you or your business are in the doldrums you may want to stop and work out whether you are stuck, in a holding pattern, lying fallow or procrastinating. You can then match the action strategy with the issue, and not just leap into ill-considered action.

Until next time

Ingrid Cliff

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Heart Harmony – Freelance Writer