Do you feel like a mouse in a wheel?

A few weeks ago, an exhausted coaching client told me that he felt like he was spinning like a “mouse on a wheel,” running hard but getting nowhere. This ‘mouse in a wheel’ analogy is so well used that I visualized exactly what he meant.

I then shared with him something that has been going on at home recently.

Last Christmas my son received 2 mice; (thanks Santa). These 2 little mice ran for hours on their squeaky little wheel, busy as “mice on a wheel”.

For months they did this.

Then I noticed one night a few weeks ago that one of the mice climbed up the side of the wheel, balancing beautifully as he went and sat on top of the wheel perfectly balanced looking down at the cage; just surveying his territory.

My surprise was compounded when I saw her go down the same way. She then held the wheel as the now elderly friend of hers got on.

They hadn’t just progressed beyond mindlessly spinning their wheel to going out and taking stock of their situation. The mice worked together helping each other.

I told the story to my coaching client and he easily understood the message.

He also got his own answers very quickly when I asked the questions;

If a mouse on a wheel can get off and balance AND help a friend do the same; What do you need to do to get off YOUR wheel?

What do you see when you take stock from a new higher perspective?

Who can you ask to “hold the wheel” to help you get to the new perspective?

If a mouse can learn to stop spinning on its wheel; What prevents you from learning the same?

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