My son started middle school and my only advice was this:
“Horseshoes not circles. Leave room for someone or something new!”
How to stop a doom loop and open up a horseshoe in 2025:
We’re having quite a time. Layoffs, industry transitions, seemingly broken interviewing, echo chambers and whatever other algorithmic hells make you feel connected-ish but also very alone, isolated and option-less.
Or maybe you’re working hard and you’re burnt to a crisp…but terrified to lose what you’ve got. Don’t want to stay, but can’t seem to go.
Stress limits our thinking, gives us tunnel vision (literally!). We’re less creative, less confident, and feel there truly are fewer and fewer options. Fear shuts us down.
Isolation (whether physical or mental) keeps us stuck in our own ruts trying to figure it all out on our own. This is a mistake. We get unstuck with help from others.
In 2025, make time to find or build community. Find a group, start a lunch meet up, find that community group, volunteer somewhere nearby a few times.
Connecting with other people helps you move from closed loop doom thinking into a horse shoe - new openings, new connections, new support and new ways to contribute.
If we’ve been in our job or career for awhile, we might not as practiced in opening to new learning or communities. We’re just too busy! We’re not sure where to start. We really don’t have the time.
I’d still encourage you to start small and start now.
