Friday Focus: Spinning Your Wheels

The Big Difference Between Effort and Progress

Mental images are very important for remembering new vocabulary. “Spinning your wheels” is a helpful idiom because it creates a clear picture in your mind. It is also easy to learn because you likely already know the basic words used in the phrase, such as “car” and “wheel.”

Visual Analogy

Imagine a car that is stuck in deep, thick mud. The driver pushes the gas pedal, and the engine makes a loud noise. The wheels turn very fast, throwing mud everywhere. However, because the tires have no traction (grip or movement), the car stays in the same place. It does not move forward at all.

In this situation, there is a big difference between effort and progress. A lot of energy is being used—the engine is working hard and the wheels are moving fast—but nothing is changing. The car is stuck. We use this same image to describe our work habits when we feel stuck on a task.