Do you know that feeling of going around in circles about something and nothing is moving forward? Your frustration is growing by the minute and you actually start soliciting total strangers for their advice. (Okay, well maybe you didn’t go that far, but you know what I mean.) Well, that’s called The Stupid Loop. It’s that place where you are stalled out in a particular circumstance, situation, or communication and you keep going around and around, forgetting that the cardinal rule of solving any challenge, resolving any issue is that you can’t do it from the same thinking that go you into it. You have to think in a different way.
For example, a neighbor who was recently griping about the contract on his home, was most upset about being unable to see the alleged comps the agent had sent him. He kept asking the agent to send them and the agent said they did and he just needed to click something inside the email to see them. It fast became a Stupid Loop.
All that had to happen is for this neighbor to request that his agent get him the comps through a means other than email. Fax or fedex would have been perfect. Instead he went around and around with the agent and nothing was moving forward except both parties were getting incredibly frustrated.
So, here are 3 Ridiculously Simple Steps to Stop the Stupid Loop and Get Smart in Business and Life:
#1 Know what you need.
Stop and determine what you need most from the particular situation you are in. Is it information (like the neighbor)? Is it an answer (give a deadline)? Is it a resource? What is it?
#2 Be flexible and creative.
Once you are clear on what you need, look hard and I’ll be you’ll find at least 2-3 other ways to get it than what you’ve been trying. If it comes down to communication, there are so many ways to make that happen, email, fax, phone, text, special delivery, Federal Express, courier, and more. You might be surprised to find that the one method you have been using is entirely ineffective, while another method might get you results in record time.
#3 Get help.
A truck could have saved this stupid loop.Let’s face it, your thinking is what you got you into this stupid loop, and that same thinking is only going to keep you there. Turn to a trusted ally, advisor, friend, colleague, or spouse and get an alternative viewpoint and ideas for solutions. By the way, it is far better to turn to someone you know that to someone you don’t. The solution won’t come from the thinking that created the problem, you must think differently or you are agreeing to remain trapped in The Stupid Loop.
That’s it, this isn’t rocket science and you don’t have to be a brain surgeon. The next time you find yourself trapped in The Stupid Loop, apply the three ridiculously simple steps outlined here and get out of it.
Hey, I’d love to hear your Stupid Loop stories, we all have them, share in comments below. And as always, you can find me on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
