The Mystery Key We All Carry

I was staring at my keychain the other day and noticed a key I’ve been carrying around for years. No clue what it opens. At some point, it was important enough to add, but is it still relevant now? It’s just a weight in my pocket.

It hit me: this is how routine creeps in. We add things to our lives, such as habits, processes, meetings, Teams/Slack pings, and inbox madness, without questioning if they still serve us. We carry them day after day.

In networking terms, it’s like being “stuck in active” on EIGRP. A router keeps asking for an update from its neighbor, but never gets a reply. The connection appears to be active, but it’s not progressing. Sound familiar?

Many of us live like that, responding, reacting, stuck in loops. Years go by, and we wonder, “How did I get here?”

The fix isn’t magic; it’s management. Just like inbox rules help tame the flood, we need life rules:

✔️ Audit what’s on your “keychain” (tasks, habits, meetings).

✔️ Ask: Does this still open any doors? Or is it dead weight?

✔️ Be intentional about what gets carried forward.

Sometimes the biggest unlock is not adding another key, but finally removing one.

So, what’s the “mystery key” in your life that you’ve been carrying, but doesn’t serve you anymore?