Do You Feel Like a Mouse on a Wheel?

A few weeks ago, a coaching client exhaustedly told me he felt like he was spinning like a “Mouse in a Wheel” – running hard but not getting anywhere. This ‘mouse on a wheel’ analogy is so well used that I visualised exactly how he meant.

Then I shared with him something that has been happening at home recently.

Last Christmas my son was given 2 mice; (thank you Santa). These 2 little girl mice ran for hours on their squeaky little wheel – busy as “mice on a wheel”.

For months they did this.

Then I noticed one evening a few weeks ago that one of the mice climbed up the side of the wheel, balancing beautifully as she went and sat on the top of the wheel perfectly balanced looking down on the cage below; simply surveying her territory.

My shock was compounded as I watched her climb down the same way. Then she held the wheel as her now aging friend climbed up.

Not only had they progressed beyond mindlessly spinning on their wheel to climb out and take stock of their situation. The mice were working together helping each other.

l told the story to my coaching client and he easily got the message.

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

If a mouse on a wheel can climb off and take stock AND help a friend to do the same; what do you need to do to get of YOUR wheel?

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

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

If a mouse can learn to stop spinning on it’s wheel; what is stopping you from learning the same thing?