I have recently found myself in a rut of competence. This is an idea popularized by David Epstein in the book “Range”.

Basically, I have found myself in a position where I was not really growing. Aging, yes. Gaining weight, also yes. Gaining gray hairs, okay you get the point.

At 34 years old, it was easy to fall into a routine, easy to think there wasn’t a lot of new going on. At this age, it is harder to make new friends, harder to start a new physical activity and even harder to learn a language than when we were younger.

I think it is important to note that I was not miserable for much of this rut, life was and is good. Good job, friends, some hobbies that get me moving like golf and softball. But nothing… new.

That was when I read “Range.” The main idea is that we hyperfocus on specializing, thinking that is the way we get ahead. We see it today with kids in sports, if you want that college scholarship you need to be playing baseball and baseball only from the time you are a fetus if you want a chance. But is that true?

The book opens with a comparison of Tiger Woods and Roger Federer. From the outside, 2 very similar men at the top of their game, but as you dive deeper, they couldn’t be further apart.

Tiger grew up with golf and only golf. His dad was a task master who had him hyper focused on his game from an incredibly young age. Was he successful? Hard to argue against all the records, tournament and major wins, but when you weigh that against his battle with personal demons, you have to ask, was that worth it?

Federer on the other hand played a variety of sports as a kid. His parents encouraged him to be diversified in the sports he played, leading him to focus on tennis far later than many of his contemporaries. Yet, Roger credits his diverse athletic background with much of his success in tennis where he is arguably the greatest of all time.

I used to think that my life and career path was a little meandering. I changed my major from journalism to economics during college. I worked as a restaurant manager with that economics degree before quitting, traveling the world, enrolling in an MBA program and becoming a management consultant.

The thing I have come to realize is that this meandering path is not so meandering and the skills I picked up working a busy dinner shift or making my way through Vietnam or working on a  presentation for grad school have set me up to be the person I am today.

Back to the rut of competence. I found myself a little stuck. Feeling like I was not in my groove despite lots of positive characteristics. What happened?

I got comfortable. I was seeking out activities and things that I was comfortable with. I was not pushing the envelope like I was at other times in my life. I was working from home. I was in a routine and not one that was fostering a growth mindset. 

So how do we get out of the rut of competence?

It might be different for everyone, but for me it was finding a new challenge. One of the things I did was sign up for F45 gym membership. This is a high intensity interval training class that changes the workout every day. No day is the same. I have always thought of myself as an athlete, but this class gets me going every day.

Finding a challenge. I went with Ryan Holiday’s Daily Stoic Habits challenge, this 66 day email course sent me a new challenge to do each day that helped me spread my wings and push myself out of my comfort zone and slowly I started to repel from the rut.

Now the problem with getting out of the rut of competence is that you find yourself in a new rut, a rut of incompetence! You are starting something new and of course you are going to suck at it. I felt like I was going to throw up my first week back at the gym. Had many days where I skipped or half assed the challenge for the day. It made me feel uncomfortable… and yet, I was growing.

Upon reflection, I realize that the most fulfilling times in my life were moments where I was challenged in this way but felt enough safety to make mistakes…

In my early days as a restaurant manager, I had no idea what I was doing. Fresh faced, 22 year old kid going up to tables to see how their food was. I was in over my head, but I had a team around me that supported me and kept me going.

Grad school was a challenge, lots of hard work, lots of learning new things and applying it fast. 

The point is, there is a shallower rut of competence in these more structured settings. It was easy enough to stick with the curriculum and move onto the next challenge.

But what do we do when we get older and those structures fade away?

No more curriculum. Busier schedules. Less time. More ego. The challenges that used to keep us going are no longer provided. It is up to us to seek them out and create the environment where we avoid the rut of competence or at least recognize it when it happens.

So, if you are like me and have found yourself in this rut, don’t despair, get out of your own head and take some action. As one my favorite podcasters Rich Roll says, “mood follows action.”

Go take some.

If you are struggling to find a direction, think about what you fear. In Ryan Holiday’s “Courage is Calling” he reminds us that our fears are a self-indicting guide that leads us to what we really need to do. Fear and resistance always votes for procrastination and hesitation. There is always a reason for not doing.

What are you making excuses for?

For me, it was writing and putting my creative voice out in the world. I have done it before, but every time I lose the momentum, it is a fight to get the courage to put it back out there.

I can’t be scared of what people think, well I can and still am, but I am reminded of the quote by Epictitus, “if you wish to improve, be content to appear clueless or stupid.”

When we run towards comfort, we are running away from an opportunity to grow.

But what about all the people who started before me… don’t they have a huge head start? I will never catch up.

Nonsense. The myth of the head start is overrated. Sure, the best day to plant a tree was 20 years ago, but the next best time is today.

There is copious evidence that head starts often fade out over time. The better approach is to have a growth mindset and adjust as you go along.

No one is good at things right away. But if you have the courage and discipline to continue the pursuit, plan and adjust as you go, the head start won’t mean nearly as much.

Don’t fear the rut of incompetence. It keeps you sharp and whether you know it or not, is broadening your horizons.

Fear the rut of competence and take action to stay out of it.