When I was turning 16, it was a rite of passage to learn how to drive a stick shift (manual transmission) before getting my license. Some of you are reading this and thinking about how you couldn’t drive a car without knowing how to operate a manual transmission – it was the only option! Today, you and I would be hard pressed to find a vehicle with a manual transmission (unless you’re driving a high-end sports car). That’s right, less than 3% of vehicles on the road have manual transmissions.

Have you ever stopped to think about the modern miracle of how a transmission works? Well, if not, then here’s a rudimentary lesson, courtesy of “How Stuff Works”:

“Cars need transmissions because of the physics of the gasoline engine. First, any engine has a redline — a maximum rpm value above which the engine cannot go without exploding. You shift gears so the engine can stay below the redline and near the rpm band of its best performance.”

The clutch is the mechanism that disengages the powered engine from the moving wheels. If you want to shift gears, you’ll need the clutch, which provides a momentary break in action, so to speak.

Much like a vehicle, if we continue press the gas pedal, our bodies will keep going. But push it too much for too long, we will overheat.

Our bodies, minds and spirits require the “pushing in of the clutch” to disengage. It’s an intentional action to shift. A break in the movement of different pieces and parts of our jobs and lives.

When the momentum is great, the stopping power needs to be ever greater. I’d think of this as our ability to stop, press pause and reflect and make meaning of what is happening in our lives.

This is what working with a leadership/executive coach can offer you - An invitation for you to push in the clutch and make intentional decisions for your life. It’s not meant to be tips and tricks, although you might find some along the way. Rather, it’s meant to be a chance to find your resolve, tune into what matters most to you, and then take control over the decisions you are making on a day to day basis.

Ask yourself:

· What am I shifting toward?

· What must I shift away from?

· Am I shifting into a higher gear or a lower gear?

· In order to shift, what must happen first?

· Am I willing to shift?

Because in life, “if you can’t find ‘em, grind ‘em” is not the best way to operate.