The Red Car Theory
“We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are”
-Anaïs Nin
The Red Car Theory states that if you’re thinking about buying a red car, you’ll start to notice red cars all over the road. Your intention to buy a red car didn’t magically put more red cars out on the road - you’re just noticing them, because your attention and awareness have dialed in to red cars.
The Red Car Theory applies far beyond shopping for a new car. When we fixate on a fear, a frustration, or a desire, our brains unconsciously start scanning for evidence of them everywhere - just as it does with red cars. What the Red Car Theory really dictates is that we notice more of whatever it is we’re already paying attention to. The principle applies to much more than automobiles.
When you’re feeling burnt out at work, you’ll likely find yourself particularly attuned to all the ways your job is exhausting. In every meeting you’ll find evidence that you aren’t appreciated. Stuck in traffic on your way to the office? You’ll see confirmation that you’re always scrambling, always behind. The Red Car Theory suggests that the stress you experience becomes the lens through which you see the world.
If you’re feeling undervalued at work, and your boss hands down a last-minute project that requires late nights, perhaps you’ll find yourself thinking: of course this one fell to me. I’m always picking up the slack. Nobody respects my time. Why do I let myself get taken advantage of like this?
But imagine you framed the situation differently. What if you were given this project because it’s important? What if it reflects a vote of confidence from your boss? What if it’s an opportunity to show that you’re ready for the next level?
The situation is the same, but your perspective is different. And that shift makes all the difference in terms of how you respond.
In my coaching practice, I work with people who are navigating moments like this. Moments where the stories they tell themselves become the lens through which they see everything. The Red Car Theory gives a relatively simple framework to name this thought pattern. We can ask: what are you primed to notice right now? How are these thoughts serving you? Or, how are they reinforcing beliefs that have yet to be challenged?
To be clear, ignoring your stress and pretending everything is fine, is not the way forward. Reframing your situation is a choice to be made - but it starts with awareness. Once you have awareness of the lens you’re using, you can decide to change it.
The next time you feel like everything’s going wrong, just ask yourself: Am I seeing more red cars? You might be surprised what else you start to notice.
If you’re interested in building awareness around your current situation, and creating some strategies to get momentum, I encourage you to download my eBook, The Ambitious Professional’s Playbook. It’s a free resource to help you find your footing and get moving towards a more empowering life and career.
