Karate Circle

Circle Up, Grasshoppers. It’s time for a story.

We’ve got a real live occurrence this time, and one that relates directly to business.

This one happens years ago, when I was going to karate class on a regular basis. I was having the worst time with one of the lessons. It was a simple one, too - the lesson was about standing inside a circle.

Here’s how it went: I was supposed to stand inside the hula hoop sized circle, with my guard up. Would be attackers (my classmates) would run past me on all sides, some of them trying to attack. And I was supposed to defend when appropriate.

It sounds so simple, doesn’t it? But it wasn’t simple at all. You see, the moment people started running toward me, I would lean out of the circle. It didn’t matter if it was one attacker or ten, I would immediately lean out of the circle. And then, the same ending every time: me picking myself up off the floor. 🙂

You see, the second you lean out of the circle, your center of gravity shifts. When your gravity shifts, you become incredibly easy to knock off your feet. And presto, your face meets dojo carpet. (Trust me, it’s not a place your nose wants to be. Or any other part of your body.)

Spoiler Alert: it doesn’t just happen in the dojo. It happens in business, too. I don’t fall prey to physical attackers, but doubt and fear show up for me (just like anyone). And sometimes I am tempted to lean out of the circle.

Here’s how it goes. Something goes wrong, and a client is unhappy with something. I’m a bit of a people pleaser, so I want to head that problem off at the pass. And make sure it never happens again. Nothing wrong with this so far, it’s just how my brain works.

Where I take a left turn is when I start to clock in emotional overtime. Doubts and worries crowd in, and I begin to think that it means something about me.

The solution? Hop back up. Dust off, and go back to the center of the circle.

There are lots of ways to do this, of course. One way I use is to write down a list of accomplishments. You see, when I solve a problem, I immediately turn my attention to the next problem. Without taking any time to appreciate or even acknowledge what just happened. (My friend Coach Jennie calls this “puddle jumping”. Check her out. She’s rad.)

Answer me this, Grasshopper - how do you get back to the center? How do you get back on your feet when you’ve been knocked down?