Are you stuck? Bogged down, stagnate, and not getting anywhere? Perhaps you're stuck in your progress towards a goal or you just don't know the next big thing you should do and feel aimless. Are you fixated on how to get over this wall which seems to grow bigger daily and is taking over your thoughts?
Being stuck makes us feel hopeless, incompetent, directionless, and can even lead to depression.
The good news is, this will pass. Humans are uniquely designed to be creative and we can see things in a new way. You just need to find a framework and the tools to help you intervene and tear down the wall. If you find yourself stuck in a circumstance you've been in before, try to see the repeating pattern.
Whether this is your first time to be stuck in this way or it's now become like an old pair of shoes, here are two important things to do: 1) think about your life; 2) try something new.
Here are 7 tips for getting unstuck and that may even be fun to do in the process.
1. Practice gratitude and self-appreciation.
One of the best ways to get unstuck is, to begin with, practicing gratitude. Start and end each day by thinking about is going well. This forces us to connect with something outside ourselves that is positive and sets the course for positive thinking. Self-appreciation forces us to have compassion for ourselves and see our value and personal worth. Gratitude and self-appreciation practiced together can increase mental health, broaden your perspective, and stimulate your creative juices.
2. Reframe the Outcome.
What do you see as your current solution or outcome? If it's not working and you've been trying to make it work a long time and you don't have the perseverance to stick at it, perhaps you need a new strategy or even a new solution. Maybe it's not working because it's not meant to turn out the way you are thinking it should and you're being pointed in a different direction. In this case, being stuck right now may just be what you need. This will force you to seek a new direction.
3. Find your Motivation.
Think about what is blocking you? Why do you want this change? Are you willing to do what you need to do to make it happen? Do your current circumstances seem more appealing than the effort needed to get to the next level? Get honest with yourself. What do you need to do to get yourself motivated? What has motivated you in the past? You can also do nothing and just wait until your pain hits it's a threshold and then you'll be ready to try something different and put in the necessary energy.
4. Connect with your future self.
Write a letter to your future self. This person is experienced, wise, and pulled you through where you are. What would life look like for yourself once you met this goal? Then have your future self-write a letter to your present self-telling you what you did to get there.
5. Imagine a visit with your mentor.
Who is someone that had a great influence on your life? A mentor that inspired you and got you to challenge and think creatively. Imagine you are having a conversation with this person? What type of recommendation do you think they would have for you? What do you think they would do in this situation?
6. Learn something new
If you are stuck because you don't know how to move to the next level, think about what you need to learn to get there? Find the training and support you need to start training and learning so you can become an expert in your knowledge gap.
7. Get out of your Body
Think of Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. Step outside yourself. Imagine your spirit floating out of your body and up to the corner of your room, then float higher, up into the sky and look down at your life. What do you see from outside yourself that you didn't see when you were so close to your problem.