Recreate the wheel

You’ve heard it said, “well, we don’t want to recreate the wheel.” You’ve probably heard it a lot, and maybe you’ve said it a lot. It’s a phrase that comes to me often as I work with clients to grow their businesses and personal lives.

It sounds smart, but is it?

To say that you don’t want to recreate the wheel sounds smart and prudent. You know there are solutions out there that have worked for other people, so why not just use those solutions for yourself or your firm?

Tragically, I’ve known so many friends and colleagues and clients try this. It’s like they try to copy-and-paste those formulas for success into their own lives and businesses, and it’s frankly hard to watch.

Now, I want to be clear. I’m huge a fan “things that work.” If software, outsourcing, conferences and retreats, podcasts and books, or any other resource is what’s enabling progress, that’s awesome and I want to support that for you. However, I’ve seen too many times that someone goes to an event or program and gets “high” off of inspiration only to be left right back where they started soon afterward. That’s a whole lot of expensive non-progress. So what’s the magic solution?

That’s exactly it, though. Sadly, there is no magic solution. As a coach and fractional executive, I have the dubious honor of gently letting my clients discover that sometimes, it really is about recreating the wheel. Because your business, your industry, your family, your firm, your life, and you yourself are entirely unique.

Recreating the Wheel Might be the Solution

The thought I’m trying to get to here is that “recreating the wheel” may be exactly what you need to do. Every career, every business, every parenting journey, every relationship or business partnership starts from zero and builds from there. I see no shame in that. Each decision is yours to make, and yours alone. It’s ok to go back to fundamentals. It’s ok to question basic assumptions. It’s not foolish to give yourself permission to be curious and have a beginner’s mind. This is the space where innovators find the next cutting edge idea. This is also the space where people build purpose.

So go ahead and recreate the wheel. It could be exactly what you need.