I’ve done website developer for years. So it can go without saying that while I wear my heart on my sleeve, I am, generally speaking, a pretty logical guy. When I approach things, I can take both an emotional and logical perspective with my thoughts.
Today I’m gonna share a thought about Repeating Loops, with two examples. One aimed at the purely logical side, and one a bit more emotional. If you’re reading this, you can skip to whichever one won’t lose you 😂
Logical
Repeating Loops in Programming
Going back to my web development mindset, there’s a tool we often use in programming that will take a large set of data and “loop” through it. Sometimes you know exactly how big the data set is and what to expect, and you may tailor your loop to that. But often times, you may not know the full scale… so you have to build the loop in such a way that it knows when to stop.
A very simple example would be counting. If I’m counting down from 10 to 0, I know the end point and can define it easily. A simple trigger of if $count > 1 allows the loop to continue until whatever $count is happens to be less than 1, and then you’re done.
But if I’m counting up, and don’t have a specific number in mind, I have to have some criteria for the loop to end. Otherwise it will go on forever, and that’s a real problem.
The problem with such an infinite loop is that the programming will keep going, the website will get stuck, the resources will get exhausted and eventually the server will simply crash.
The only solution is for the programmer to fix this, as the user can’t change anything at all. If the one with the issue doesn’t fix the problem, the user will just exit and never return.
Emotional
Groundhog Day on Steroids
Remember the movie Groundhog Day? Bill Murray’s character is stuck in the same day, repeating over and over again until he finally gets it right.
In the movie, he first deals with the frustration of the process. Eventually, a bit of a “Fuck It” attitude emerges, and he just starts having fun with it – doing all the weird stuff he can to amuse himself along the way. Eventually he truly wants to find a resolution and begins to learn whatever lesson the universe is trying to teach him. Finally, the next day comes and the loop is broken, with the character having learned and evolved.
Fun, entertaining and relatable. Yet, a bit far fetched in so many ways.
You see, I can only imagine the maddening effect. I get the “F – It” part, and would likely try to amuse myself too. But human nature is strange, and when we see no purpose in doing the same thing a million times with no hope of change… we’re more inclined to “check the F out” than anything else. The fact that the movie didn’t end that way… well, that’s likely too morbid for the big screen.
Regardless, the story showed that the character had to figure out his issue. The other people came and went, but his issue remained, and it wasn’t until he fixed it that he could continue… or, exit. Either way, something had to give!
The Point
Repeating Loops are not good
We all find ourselves in repetitive loops in life. It could be with work, family, and/or relationships.
When we find ourselves looping over and over again, there’s something that needs to get fixed. Often times, the one in the loop is looking at everyone else… the programmer that wants to blame user error, or the character that thinks everyone around him needs to adjust.
But it’s not until we recognize our loop and actively work to fix it that a resolution can be made. The programmer has to review their code. The character has to search within. And if that doesn’t happen, all resources will get exhausted and things are gonna crash – not in a good way.
This isn’t easy to do. As humans we can get stuck in our own ways and thinking. We often want to blame others… they did this or they didn’t do that – if they would just change, everything would be ok.
But the answer is usually not external. The answer is usually within, and we have to be honest about that. The programmer can’t simply say “hey, I only write good code – it can’t be me!” And the character can’t say “Geez, everyone else is just nuts!”
So when you find yourself in a loop, take some time and look within. If you’re dealing with insecurities… deal with them. If you’re stuck on a thought, find a way to look at other perspectives.
We all want the program to work right, or the next day in our journey to continue. Don’t let the loops get you stuck, else you or those around you will fight insanity, become exhausted, and eventually just quit.
PS Note: This concept of repeating loops, and having experienced them myself and watched countless others do the same… this is the reason I truly wanted to get into Life Coaching! I want to help others escape the repeating loops, find the clarity they need and make the changes they need to make for themselves. If you find yourself in this position, I’d invite you to visit AscendianCoaching.com to find out how you can escape the loop yourself!
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