Recently my family and I went to visit a place called Astoria, Oregon, and had a wonderful time. There was delightful breakfast place called Pigs 'n Pancakes. We stayed in the Astoria Riverside Inn, which was wonderful, with large rooms, game systems, and a wonderful view. Yet, most of all, we were surrounded by Lewis and Clark sites.
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They got stuck here:
Now you have to understand, these guys were tough. Stopping them wasn't easy. Yet, so close to the ocean, they get stuck in this little outcropping. Here's how he describes it:
Rain soaked the expedition party that night, and it continued at intervals throughout the next day, November 11, 1805. Conditions worsened on November 12th; on top of rain, wind and cold came thunder, lightning and hail. Clark describes their move from the unnamed cove to the Dismal Nitch:
"As our situation became Seriously dangerous, we took the advantage of a low tide & moved our Camp around a point a Short distance to a Small wet bottom at the mouth of a Small Creek (Megler Creek), which we had observed when we first came to this cove…"The rain continued on November 13 and 14. On the morning of November 15 Clark awoke to calm weather for the first time in 10 days. Clark describes the party's escape from what became know as the Dismal Nitch:
"About 3 oClock the wind lulled and the river became calm, I had the canoes loaded in great haste and Set Out, from this dismal nitich where we have been confined for 6 days…"
People who read this blog want to get somewhere. They're life-livers. We're all Lewis & Clark. But how many of us, so close to our goal, have gotten stuck? It's not always major events that impede us. The Dismal Nitch is not very large, nor is the sea obviously more tumultuous there than anywhere else on the coast. As I stood there I was amazed - "This stopped Lewis and Clark?" Here's what strikes me about this as it relates to goal achievement:
- It's not always a big boulder that stops you - this nitch was not impressive, but the risks and the challenges lay in the environment and often are not obvious.
- Sometimes challenges happen when you're least prepared - the party wasn't ready for this. They were out of food, their clothes were threadbare, they were tired, and winter was coming (for real).
- You realize you're stuck only after it happens - L&C had visited nitches all up and down the coast. The weather pinned them and, before they knew it, the Nitch was their only chance of survival.
Careers can get stuck in a nitch. Maybe you become a lawyer, and then after ten years ( five years? five days?) you realize you hate it. But you have sunk so much money into it that you can't help yourself - you're a lawyer, dammit, and you will like it!
Maybe you were on your way to your dream and it got derailed. The Winds of Misfortune blew you into a nitch. You had too many student loans. The economy tanked. You had a health issue. Like L&C, something you didn't see hit you in the chin and stopped you in your tracks.
You might be thinking about quitting. Though his journals don't speak of quitting, Lewis surely must have had that flash through his mind. Walking from St. Louis to Oregon. I've driven that distance with difficulty and numerous stops. Walking? Winter? Warring Tribes? Only to get stuck in some rain-drenched nitch?
Here are some tips to get your boat out of that dismal nitch!
1. Seek safety - The dismal nitch sounds, well, dismal, but it probably saved the party's lives. Rather than challenging the Pacific Ocean and the relentless cold, wet, winds, L&C decided it better to retreat and fight another day. This comes up often in career advice columns, where pundits say, "Quit, and start a new job/life!" This action might work, but there are better odds that you'll be dashed against the rocks. Instead, seek out safety from which you can hold on and take stabs at getting out.
2. Take frequent escape attempts - L&C looked for their opportunity and took it. In careers, it's more difficult than simply looking out of your tent door and seeing a calmer sea, so you have to pay attention. What paths are there from where you're at ( Lawyer) to where you want to be (Author)? This leads us to the final way of escaping the nitch ...
3. You need a sponsor & lots of help- The whole adventure wouldn't have happened without some aggressive funding from Jefferson and a good deal of autonomy on how to actually execute the mission. Leaders would be good to take a good read of how Lewis and Clark were treated by their sponsors. Basically, you fund them, let them create the mission, even build the team, and then show patience.
4. You need help - L&C wouldn't have made it very far out of Missouri without help of numerous tribes they encountered during their journey. It wasn't only Sacajawea who was crucial; tribes helped them find food, traded for innumerable items, and were generous with their time and expertise. Getting help/coaching is a core element of the LifeSparc process and may seem obvious. Of course we need help! It could be a book, a video, it could be a friend, or maybe a real coach in the domain you're pursuing. In reaching for your Pacific Ocean you won't know the landscape. It will be crucial to lean on those who have been through it before.
5. Don't Quit - Finally, don't quit! People do this surprisingly often. One area is in stock purchases - people tend to buy high ( when the press is hot on a stock) and sell low ( after the press leaves the thing has gone down) and you sell. Resist the urge to throw in the towel too quickly by keeping the journey's goal in mind. I will end with this quote:
"I am not telling you its going to be easy, I am telling you its going to be worth it." - Russel Wilson
Where have you been stuck, and how did get out of your Dismal Nitch?
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