How to Keep Moving Forward | 120 Seconds to Better Leadership

What is Vapor Lock?

Let’s talk vapor lock. I think we all know what vapor lock feels like. It’s when there are too many competing priorities and goals that it’s hard to know which to focus on first. It’s also sometimes that feeling that you don’t know what your goals should be. You’re confused, you’re confused about what you want next. And what happens to most of us when we’re vapor locked is that we freeze. We stop taking action, we get stuck behind the computer, we accomplish a lot of really meaningless tasks, wasting too much time online, doing little things that don’t matter because we’d rather not do nothing.  

The Key to Vapor Lock

One, get out of the office. When you’re that stuck or overwhelmed standing there grinding on your computer and engaging in activities that don’t matter will not help you get out of vapor lock, so get out, get physical, get moving, get in the woods, get on a horse, get to the gym, whatever gets you comfortable, moving and physical will help.

The other thing, too – it’s a good time to ask for help. I know, for me, my business and my personal life have changed so much in the past few years, and I really don’t know what I want next. Joining a peer group is one of the action steps I’ve taken to help me get a little clearer about what I want moving forward.

Keep Moving Forward

So, if you’re feeling that horrible feeling of vapor lock where you’re not sure what your next step is, or there are so many next steps you can’t decide which one to take next, walk away, take a break, talk to a friend, and then get back at it.

When you’re ready to keep moving forward with a healthy perspective, 360 leadership assessments can help. If you’re looking for an executive coach in Chicago, let’s talk.