CeCe and I are in Dallas on an overnight personal trip. At check in yesterday, we discovered the hotel is obviously under construction and the jackhammers were going! CeCe gave me that look… you know, the one that says, “We are not staying here!” Thankfully, the host quickly shared that all construction stops at 5 p.m. sharp.
Today, our schedule starts around 11 a.m. so I am headed to the gym as CeCe, as you well know, is not exactly what you’d call an early bird. The construction area is pretty extensive, so I have to get directions from the front desk to the gym. They take me outside, show me a sidewalk, and across another path where I am to enter a second building, go down a set of stairs, and take a couple of turns to the gym.
Weaving along the sidewalk, I find the pathway where golf carts are being set up for the day. Checking a couple of doors, I finally find the one that takes me inside and down at the end of the hall I see the stairs. Now faced with three choices, I suddenly can’t remember what the front desk person told me but here comes a man in his workout clothes, so I semi-stalk him down the hallway, hoping he’s gym-bound. This hallway doesn’t appear to be finished but I do see some signs about a gym. I follow the man through a big steel door and, after a short walk, we are in the middle of some heavy construction on the new gym and spa.
He turns and looks at me, “I’m trying to get back to the hotel, do you know where we go from here?”
“No, I’m trying to get to the gym.”
“It’s on the left back where the stairs are.”
“Okay, thanks,” I say as I turn to go back the way we came.
When I get back to the steel door, it’s locked. I quickly ran back to the construction site and, surprise, there’s no one to be found. Looking around for about 15 minutes, convinced it was a maze designed by a construction worker with a wicked sense of humor and trying various doors, I finally found one that opened back into a hallway that had been closed off due to construction, but I knew it was part of the hotel. Following it up a set of stairs, I am standing back at the front desk where I started.
Now, I admit, I had a few panic-type thoughts as I struggled to find my way out of the construction. But my lasting impression rings true whether you’re lost in a hotel or navigating the complexities of life. Sometimes, the path isn’t clear and you might feel like you’re walking in circles, but with a bit of persistence (and a good sense of humor), you’ll find your way.
Just remember, if we don’t know where we’re going, we might end up nowhere. Today, whether it’s navigating our business, leading our team, or advancing in our career, having a plan is essential, yet being flexible and able to pivot is equally important. Given the speed of life’s changes, I encourage everyone — leaders and team members alike — to set short-term goals, adapt, and reflect often. What may appear to be a locked steel door on our journey, might just be a scenic detour where we learn more about who we are.
CeCe, are you awake? I’ve got a story for you…
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