When it feels like I'm spinning in place

I've recently had this picture in my mind of me riding a bicycle. I'm peddling my heart out. Sweat is dripping off my face.

But for all this effort, I'm not getting anywhere.

Here's the catch in this imaginary scene: I'm riding a stationary bike. The wheels are spinning but I'm staying in one spot.

We'd expect to be moving forward when we're peddling. It can be quite frustrating to put in the effort but not have any forward momentum.

This explains a bit of a struggle a regularly feel, that I put in time and effort yet don't see progress. As this picture illustrates, it's usually because I'm expending my energy on the wrong thing(s).

In sharing this picture with a close friend, I was given some advice. As I started to think about how I could apply these tips to my life, I felt like I had switched from being on a stationary bike to a real bicycle. Somehow during this talk the brackets that kept the stationary bike in place fell off.

All of a sudden I was riding a stationary bike off it's frame and on to the road. The speed at which I peddled then turned the stationary bike into a real push bike.

How awesome, that by focusing energy in the right areas I will likely see forward motion where I once felt stuck in one place.