The garden as coach Part 2 - Root bound
Have you ever known someone who, despite lackluster results, continues to use the same solution to new problems? I’ve seen this occasionally when walking in an area with street lights and crosswalks. A person pushes the Walk button and waits for traffic to stop. If it doesn’t happen within a few seconds, they push the button again. And again. I’ve actually seen a grown man put his whole weight into pushing the button, leaning into the pole, assuming that this will magically change the light. They’re using a behavior they know works (pushing the button) with the hope that this will change the light more quickly.
We laugh at this example, but none of us are immune from this behavior. How many of us (including myself) overspend, overdrink, overeat, overwork, oversleep, over-you name it? The behavior that has brought us some results in the past is expected to bring us all of our results in the future.
Returning to the garden analogy, this is very much like a potted plant that's root bound. The plant grows a root system to bring much-needed water and nutrients to the plant, and at some point, there's a limit to the water supply. So it grows more roots in search of additional water. But the pot boundaries hold the plant firmly in place. The end result is a large network of roots in a limited area, and the plant starts to limit its growth.
I had a client who was looking for work and was very frustrated with the process. He had been applying online to different roles and finding that no one ever called back. He was putting in a lot of effort with little to no results. He was frustrated, angry, and depressed. To him, it didn't make sense. This had worked for him during his college years when applying to roles at his university. Why wasn’t it working now?
After some coaching, he tried some new strategies:
He started better self-care habits, to keep his energy up during this challenging time.
He grew his network and connected with people beyond his nearest friends.
He discovered that talking to colleagues and connections was immensely helpful. They provided insights into posted and non-posted roles.
He also started considering a greater variety of roles that he had previously felt weren't a fit.
After a few months of expanding his point of view, he landed a role that was well aligned with his values and enabled him to be fully in control of his future. He grew his self-confidence, knowing that he now had the ability to find and get a role that met his career goals (not to mention, during a pandemic! What a great sense of achievement.
Sunflowers, West Seattle, 2021
Working with a coach is like removing the pot that surrounds your thinking. Soon after the pot's been removed and the plant is in a new environment, roots grow well beyond the initial limits of the pot. The plant begins to thrive, growing tall and wide as the roots stretch to bring in new ideas and thought patterns.
Are you in a pot and root bound? Do you keep trying harder and harder to make something work, but not seeing the results you desire? Might you be growing more roots while the pot continues to keep you confined? Your coach helps you discover the blind spots and thought processes that keep you stuck. We all have them.
A good coach is your thinking partner. We're here to help you discover your amazing capabilities. We believe in your success, even if you've stopped believing in it.
Tulips, Keukenhof, The Netherlands, April 2019