When you reach the Pit of Despair, you have two options. You can persevere through the Pit and make it to the other side, reaching the Norming and Performing stages of the Project Mood Curve. Or you can abort the mission and start over. We have talked about strategies for how to overcome the Pit in other posts, but today I want to explore what it might mean to change direction.
The Pit
The Pit is a place of clarity. Being there can help you realize if what you’re pursuing is actually in alignment with your There. You may find that the task is harder than you thought it would be, but that it’s still the direction you want to go in. Great! Keep persevering.
But you may discover that you were chasing a goal for the wrong reasons. Or you might have thought that this endeavor would lead you one way, but now it appears to be taking you somewhere else. In that case, it would be better to change directions and find something else that will take you where you want to go.
Act, Learn, and Adjust
As we journey on the Path, we have to act, learn and adjust. We are not expected to be able to make the correct decision the first time every time. And expecting that kind of perfectionism from yourself can often lead to an inability to complete the first step: Act. In fact, sometimes we can even be so sure of a decision, but then once we act we might find ourselves in a place we didn’t want to go. That’s why we have the other two steps: Learn and Adjust.
It would not be worthwhile to restart the Project Mood Curve only to restart and once again find yourself going in the wrong direction again. We must learn from our actions and then adjust accordingly to make sure that we’re staying on the Path.
Now remember, you will still encounter the Pit, even if you’re going in the right direction. Following your There doesn’t mean that you won’t encounter challenges, just that you will be heading in the right direction once you overcome them.
A Transcendent There
Our Transcendent There is our north star that guides all our decisions. Making sure that whatever you do is aimed in that direction will help you to achieve all your other goals along the way. It gives you a greater perspective when facing difficulties, knowing that something meaningful is on the other side. And it helps you know if you are headed in the right direction, or if you might need to readjust your Path.
Gracie McBride is the Content and Systems Coordinator at The Crossroad.
