Replace the Stationary Bike with These Ideas for Your Self-Direction

24 Mar Replace the Stationary Bike with These Ideas for Your Self-Direction

Posted at 16:27h in Blog, Ruth's Reflections by

© 2025 by Ruth Schimel PhD, Career & Life Management Consultant, Author

www.ruthschimel.com  ruth@ruthschimel.com  202.659.1772 for permissions to use

Where you may be now

Like so many policy, professional and personal decisions, choosing what to do often involves reactions to what is and was rather than what will be – or what could and should be. What’s familiar from your own experience and what others suggest can trap you in what’s comfortable and predictable from your past and present. What’s new, popular and exciting also attracts and distracts. That can also temporarily seduces you into something that’s not a better match with your unfolding authentic focus and interests as well as potential.

From playing ping pong to facing your realities

These distracting tendencies can lead to reactive ping ponging of trying this or maybe that. Such detours lead away from the worthwhile adventure and sometimes uncomfortable iterative work. Succumbing to what feels comfortable or the current attention-getting topic provides escape from exploring within yourself first

Along the way, what does come to mind are interests or curiosities that could feel daunting or seem inaccessible.  Perhaps they will not have the prestige, security or pay that you want. Or they could be disdained or misunderstood by people whose opinions are important to you.

You could miss an opportunity to revisit and integrate an old or modern version of something that intrigued you. In fact, figuring out what you truly want to study, learn and do is a continuing process of renewing yourself and accommodating change.

Uncertainty is a given

In today’s world there are especially good reasons to feel rattled by uncertainties. Tumult includes the political economy, technology, and fallout from pandemic disruptions. Language that captures the dynamism and uniqueness of what has meaning and interest to you may not yet exist. Even when the roads ahead seem open, drawing the maps is still in process, awaiting the GPS.  https://www.wsj.com/arts-culture/books/the-art-of-uncertainty-review-how-to-sail-uncharted-waters-9a15c17e?st=Q3xxKY&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

Opportunities and adventures await

Then, what to do?  Accept that you have company in feeling a little lost, stuck or indefinite about choices and actions. Seek fellow travelers who you enjoy for mutual benefit. Although one danger is that you’ll waste too much energy on pursuing one way,  search process itself is where opportunities await.

Or as early maps warned about the unknown,” here be dragons.” The adventure is in finding how your current abilities transfer or at least relate as well as developing new ones that hold promise to keep you engaged, vibrant and successful according to your values. As you dig into and play around with them, a map will emerge or you will create one.  You “just” need some patience to do the work, deal with ambiguity and attract the assistance and company that makes sense.

Linear experiences are unlikely because the process is rarely neat and sometimes difficult in worthwhile ways. But when you make consistent commitments and follow your true preferences, sometimes things come together synchronistically or magically.  At least you’ll feel self-respect and some peace of mind as you take modest steps. In turn, that also can lead to good trouble, enjoyment and surprises. Keep in mind you always have the power of agency to clarify your meaning and purposes. That’s the better alternative to wasting time and energy beating up on yourself.


Photograph from the United States Library of Congress: Ortelius’s 1570 Theatrum Orbis Terrarum map.

The good news is that you are the GPS. Your curiosity, sense of humor and relative balance, along with transferable skills provide strength and create direction. Dormant passions and interests can show up and combine in new, possibly viable ways. As you become clearer about your focus, worthwhile people will show up to pedal with you.

Ruth’s background

How do I know this?  Where do I come off encouraging you to deal with discomfort, unknowns and ambiguity, not to mention feelings of anxiety, fear or suffering? Well, I’ve been there myself many times and have my full quota of flailing and detours. I’ve also learned from and assisted over 200o clients and groups with varying ages, backgrounds and situations. And I know what courage is based on my dissertation on how most anyone can discover and express their capacity.

My interdisciplinary learning and experiences contribute to understanding and appreciation of the complexity, challenges and opportunities of these messy times. I’ve been breaching silos and integrating views since high school. For example, I attended the Bronx High School of Science where I took three years of biology in addition to its eclectic fare such as mechanical drawing and shop. Here is the link to my current resume which may provide a further sense of my interdisciplinary background and interests.

Ruth Schimel resume current.doc

Inspiration and tools to express what you want to do

Not limited to a characteristic or an act, you’ll see you have the capacity for courage. The subject of my PhD dissertation, your courage is a “process of becoming that involves the willingness to realize your true capacities by going through discomfort, fear, anxiety or suffering and taking wholehearted, responsible action.” https://www.ruthschimel.com/books/choose-courage/

To explore and clarify what you want to do and related action, I recommend that you focus on chapter five of my latest book. Preferably use the softcover version rather than audio or another option to play more easily with the menus of possibilities. https://www.ruthschimel.com/books/happiness-and-joy-in-work/  For related guidance as you move along, see:  https://www.ruthschimel.com/resources/

Moving forward

At any point in your process, call me to discuss your situation and how we could collaborate. I’m glad to offer a free 30-minute conversation and look forward to hearing from you to set a mutually viable time. Email me at ruth@ruthschimel.com or leave a message at 202.659.1772 with likely times and a number to reach you.

I like this quote of poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge that John Dewey, American philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer, “stole” at the start of his book, Art as Experience. “The reader should be carried forward, not merely or chiefly by the mechanical impulse of curiosity, not by a restless desire to arrive at the final solution, but by the pleasurable activity of the journey itself.” This does not preclude our serious, practical exploration, but honors the process of becoming courageous.

FYI: For an example of how to dive into a learning experience for pleasures and experimenting without being an expert, visit https://artingconversations.com/

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BTW: External resources for investigation and exploring as you wish.

Choose among the following range of links that I offer for your exploration, choice and expansion.  Add your own as you specify topics that are important to you.

Culture, mind and technology

Learning abetted by love

The American Dream and college?

Work and child rearing

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