Ocean currents, like the Gulf Stream in the North Atlantic Ocean, sometimes meander from their usual path. When the meanders create large bends, they can break off into eddies, a vortex of swirling water.

When you are ocean racing, to Bermuda for example, you try to strategically plan your trip through the eddies to take advantage of beneficial currents and avoid the negative ones. Luckily the eddies can be defined not only by the direction and strength of the water flow, but also by the temperature of the water.

Not My Monkey

This weekend I have had several conversations with people who are trying to avoid personal vortexes – dramas around them they have not created and do not have to be involved in. We all know people who are drawn to vortexes – who want to “save” the person who keeps getting fired or keeps tanking relationships, or just wants to gossip about the drama on a regular basis.

The expression “not my circus, not my monkey” comes to mind. My sister calls it, “staying in my lane.” Avoiding these vortexes saves you energy to focus on the more positive things in life. Creating boundaries around these vortexes is healthy for you, and limits adding fuel to the vortex.

Success Management

Professionally, we also have vortexes to avoid – known pitfalls to projects. Pitfalls can be identified through both past experience and published case studies. Ignoring these pitfalls has the same effect as a boat in an eddy or a person in a drama – it is a recipe for a swirling vortex.

At Oyster Insight, we can create a successful path around these pitfalls with risk mitigation and success management strategies. Proactively identifying generic risks for each type of situation, as well as risks unique to the task at hand is done at the beginning of every project. Avoiding the vortexes, personally and professionally, leads to greater productivity and happiness.