(Distinctions are subtleties of language that, when gotten, cause a shift in a belief, behavior, value or attitude.)

 

It may seem odd to be glad you’re floundering since it sounds like a place you wouldn’t want to be. But there is a world of difference between floundering and stuck.

Stuck is frozen, no options, at the effect-of, unhappy. A classic victim place.

When you are floundering you may also be unhappy, have no clear sense of direction, and not want to be where you are. But you are trying things. You’re in action, maybe without visible traction, but you’re doing something. And you have the clarity that “this isn’t it.”

Flounder-ers are exploring and looking for something better. Stuck-ers can feel resigned to their fate.

You can, if you choose to, smile, even as you flounder, enjoying the discovery process. A person who feels stuck is rarely smiling.

 

Coaching Point: Who can help you move past floundering, to clarity, quicker?

 

Copyright 2010 Steve Straus. All rights reserved.