Breaking Out of a Strategic Rut

A creative and practical thought experiment for imagining big change

Apr 30, 2024

woman in red v neck t-shirt — Photo by Lucia Macedo on Unsplash

With all of the demands on our attention during the workday, stepping back to look at the big picture of our work can feel impossible. In fact, the notion might not even occur to us. We’re answering emails, meeting deadlines, and taking calls—every minute accounted for (and then some).

Without taking a step back to look at the big picture, we come to accept many of our day-to-day frustrations as given. When we plan for growth or change, we work with what we’ve got instead of challenging ourselves to ask What if?

And that’s how we wind up in a strategic rut.

A strategic rut occurs when the belief that this is just the way it is prevents you from imagining how things could be different.

Today, I invite you to get out of that rut. Even if just for five minutes.

This is especially an invitation for small business owners, freelancers, and independent workers. But if you have some control over your work, it’s worthwhile for you, too.

A thought experiment for imagining big change

To begin, identify one aspect of your business or work you wish was different (e.g., your revenue, clients, pace of work, number of projects, etc.). Then, take that variable and make it (almost) impossibly ideal. Finally, pose this scenario as a creative prompt.

For example, let’s say you really wish your schedule was more flexible—all those Zoom sessions with clients make it hard to drop everything and go surfing when the waves are just right. But at the same time, you value working with your clients one-on-one, and you don’t want to give that up. Your Almost Impossible Ideal might be that you never do live client sessions—no Zoom for you!—but you still find a way to work with people individually.

Your creative prompt might be: What needs to be true in order for me to never have another client appointment while still providing a high level of individualized service?

Let’s do one more example. This one deals less with a frustration and more with a change in circumstance. Let’s say you’ve decided to go back to school. To accommodate that, you want to work a third of the hours you work now—without sacrificing any income.

Your prompt might be: What needs to be true for me to work 65% less while earning the same income?

There are many ways to respond to your prompt.

This is a feature, not a bug.

To never have a client appointment again, you might try voice message coaching like

❤️ Jenny Blake

offers in the summer. You could also offer email support. Maybe you create a program for your clients to work through—they work through videos and worksheets, submit their work, and you offer additional guidance asynchronously. All three are valid options.

To work 65% less while earning the same income, you might decide to move upmarket and find clients who are willing to take three times your current rates. You might turn your individualized services into a group program. You might hire people who can deliver the service for you at a higher volume and focus your time on management and sales. Again, all three are valid options.

By generating multiple ways to reach your (almost) impossible ideal, you start to recognize that it’s not so impossible after all. You can also incorporate other variables that further constrain your options, prompting you to get even more creative.

Give it a try.

Take a minute or two to try this process out:

Step 1: Identify one thing about your business or work you wish was different
Step 2: Name your (almost) impossible ideal
Step 3: Ask yourself: what else would need to be true for that (almost) impossible ideal to become reality?
Step 4: Come up with at least 3 scenarios that fit that prompt

If you need help getting started, here are a few of my favorite prompts to play with:

What else would need to be true if your business to triple its revenue?
What else would need to be true if you were to hire a team to deliver your services?
What else would need to be true if you were to work half as much as you do now without jeopardizing revenue?
What else would need to be true if you were to not feel anxious whenever you open your inbox?

Last thing: assume that whatever you come up with to address your prompt will require a cascade of changes to how you currently do business. Figuring out those changes is the next step.

I’d love to know what you come up with. Premium subscribers can leave a comment below, and I’ll try to respond to each one over the next couple of days. If you’re not a premium subscriber, share this post and tag me with your response.