Circling Dallas

I’m not sure where I first heard the term but I feel in love with it immediately: Circling Dallas. Being a Texan I naturally think everything orbits the Lone Star State, yet that’s not what I’m talking about here. Circling Dallas refers to that state where you are going somewhere and you just can’t seem to land. You could be going to an event and you just can’t seem to make it out the door. Or you’re going to write a newsletter (ahem) and you can’t sit down and get typing. Maybe there’s a long awaited project you’re eager to begin, yet you’re not taking the necessary steps to get going. Instead of getting busy, you stay at the higher viewpoint, looking down at the thing and considering it. You’re Circling Dallas.

Maybe it’s just me this happens to? Consider the last time you Circled Dallas – what was going on? Fear, procrastination in one of its many forms, lack of focus? How were you feeling and how were you being? Feeling lousy about not taking the action? Being avoidant or unconscious? Sometimes I want to go so far as to put my hands over my ears and go “la la la la la la la” to make the internal nagging go away. Nagging, by the way, which would go away if I just took the action. What gives?

Here are two quick and easy techniques I use to stop the Circling:

Sit still in the place where the action needs to happen
I make myself sit down; that’s how this newsletter finally got written. I stopped moving around the house, checking the mail, chatting with the neighbor, playing with the dog and generally enjoying a nice, sunny (albeit chilly) day on my deck. I sat down, opened up Mail Chimp and stared at the screen and breathed. I acted as if I was writing the newsletter and within a few minutes I actually was writing – oh happy day! Sometimes all that needs to happen is to go to the place and compel yourself to be there, and the action shows up.

Take an interim step
Circling Dallas can act as a way to not take action on something, yet it doesn’t mean you can’t take action on something else. You can think of this as a push start: maybe the engine won’t completely turn over yet you can still start the car by coasting down the hill and popping the clutch (yes, I do drive a stick shift). Pick an item that feels fun or easy, and start with that. Once you’ve got some momentum built up switch to your Circling Dallas task; it’s much easier to stay moving once you’re already in motion.

Here’s to you *arriving* at your destination!