The Justification Spiral by Krystal Zellmer

Have you ever had a moment where something happened, and you reacted sharply? Have you ever had a circumstance that started out slightly irritating and before you knew it you were fuming? I believe what fuels this fire is a cycle I like to call the “Justification Spiral.” 

Let me use an example. Say your manager requests that you turn in a project by a certain date. At first, you feel a time crunch. The date is inconvenient for you, but you think you can squeeze the project in. As the deadline gets closer you begin a downward spiral within your own self-talk. At first, the talk is fairly innocent and the spiral not very deep. “If I had been asked to give my own deadline, I could have scheduled this better.” As the deadline gets closer, and you are feeling more pressure, the spiral goes deeper. “They must not see how much I’m doing. I don’t even think they appreciate me.” This spiral continues until finally, when the project is due, whether or not you complete it on time, you have created a space for yourself to feel unvalued and unappreciated through this justification spiral.  

The justification spiral happens when you create one story, or do one thing, that feels out of alignment with who you know you truly are. You know you are a capable talented person, and could complete the project within the given timeline, whether or not it is inconvenient. Instead of owning your responsibility, or your choices, you attempt to shift the “blame” to someone or something else. In doing so you begin to create an elaborate story to justify why you were right about whatever you were initially feeling. Unfortunately, instead of this making you feel better, you end up feeling worse. This kind of self-talk could lead to you disliking a job you used to love, being resentful of your family, or so many other prices you really don’t want to pay. 

What if you broke the cycle? What if you owned your part? What if you had chosen to have an open, honest, responsible conversation with your manager? What if you made a request? What if you just plain kept your word, and did what you said you would do? 

Empower yourself today to break the cycle and stop the spiral!