The Groove

Getting into a groove can be a great thing.

You can get a lot done in the groove. The groove gives you the opportunity to show off your expertise and flex muscles that you’ve been building for a long time (the feeling of being really great at something is incredibly powerful). The groove gives you a vehicle to help others.

But sometimes we’ve been in our groove so long we fail to realize it no longer serves us. Or maybe it does serve us, just not to the highest degree. Maybe our groove looks great on paper but feels uninspiring in reality so we think: “Maybe I need to get in a new groove.”

This is a common theme with many of my business owner friends. Everything is working with the business, it’s just not as fulfilling as it should be. They’re frustrated by the groove they're in and are questioning if they should get out and start digging a new groove.

They fail to see that the groove they're in is actually a blessing. The groove gives them stability. A strong foundation and sense of security. While being in the groove isn’t a reason to keep doing what you’re doing if it’s not serving you, it does provide a foundation from which to experiment. A home base. It’s power, safety, and potential all in one.

I’m sure we’ve all heard the “get out of your comfort zone” speech. While well-intended it’s incredibly oversimplified and potentially irresponsible advice. It conjures up images of leaving everything behind and starting over. Taking bold big action on something new. Abandoning your groove. the groove you’ve spent so much time digging.

Bold action is sometimes necessary but a healthier, more sustainable method is small changes over time. Leaving one foot in your groove, a place where you have a reputation, skill, influence, and leverage, while lifting one foot out and dipping a toe in the water somewhere adjacent. A 5-degree shift instead of a complete 180.

So if you’re in a groove but it’s not as fulfilling as it should be, instead of reshaping your life from the ground up, ask yourself: “What’s one small step I could take today in a direction that would tickle my brain and make my heart sing?”

Over time maybe you dig a whole new groove. Maybe after a series of experiments, you appreciate your groove so much more and decide to dig it even deeper–maybe you tweak it just a bit.

Most of us will have multiple deep grooves in our lifetime, all connected by a common thread. Whether or not you stay in a particular groove forever it’s important to note that if you’re in a groove that’s working, you shouldn't take it for granted.