I was introduced to the concept of busting one’s cycle about five years ago when I discovered “the show with zefrank.” Busting your cycle entails breaking a long-held routine to experience a sense of elation and/or shift in perspective. I’ve recently had to do some cycle busting of my own and found that stepping up and breaking routine can actually get results.
I’ve played guitar on and off since I was 15. Ever since I graduated college in 2003, I’d been mostly off. Then I started a band last year and realized I had a long way to go — I could play chords … and, uh, chords. That’s fine when you’re starting out, but I quickly came to the realization that if I just kept practicing the same ol’ chords every day I wasn’t going to get any better. I had to bust my cycle. For me, busting my cycle meant signing up for guitar lessons. I needed someone to tell me what I was doing wrong and show me some new things to try. I immediately started to see the gaps in my skills, learned some new things to work on, and even started to think about about music and songwriting differently.
It’s scary to step outside your comfort zone — you have to confront the fact that maybe you weren’t as good at something as you thought you were, and you may feel like you’re starting over from scratch — but in the end, the results are worth it.
Cycle busting isn’t just for dorky guitar players — it also applies in the world of business. Is your marketing stuck in a rut of doing the same thing over and over? It’s easy to get in the habit of doing the same ol’ routine, regardless of whether it actually gets results. Maybe it’s time you took a hard look at the results you’re getting — you might be in for a surprise. If the results aren’t as great as you were hoping, it might be time to bust some cycles.
Busting your cycle hurts, and it’s hard sometimes. But now’s not the time to get all Stuart Smalley and think you’re good enough, smart enough and that people like you. If your marketing has gotten a little too routine, maybe it’s time to shake things up. And if you’re not sure where to start, get in touch. We know a thing or two about poking the status quo in the eye and getting results.
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