Welcome To The Game Of Life…
I like to think of life a bit like a video game.
When we first start playing it’s unfamiliar and there are lots of surprises.
We probably mess up countless times before we manage to complete level 1 and move on to level 2.
When we finally reach level 2, we are more experienced and able to deal with the game of life better.
However level 2 has some new challenges that we must overcome in order to reach level 3, and so on.
If, when we got good at level 1, we stayed there forever and never moved on to level 2, we would probably at some stage end up bored as hell!
And often, this is what has happened when we find ourself feeling stuck in our life or career.
Level 1 is safe, comfortable, and familiar but nothing very exciting happens there anymore!
And the longer we stay there the more comfortable we get, and the thought of making changes or moving on gets more and more daunting!
Staying Stuck
There are usually a host of really great ‘reasons’ we stay stuck in something safe but unfulfilling, and sitting underneath these ‘reasons’ is usually some kind of unconscious belief, behaviour, or fear.
It seems easier for us to just stay on the same level, but over time we end up getting bored, frustrated, angry, resentful, and less and less motivated.
Never a good look!
So what do you need to stop doing to get unstuck, and design a life or career that’s more fulfilling?
1. Stop Saying ‘I Don’t Know’
Lack of clarity on what you want or how you want it to be different is one of the main reasons people stay stuck.
However, it doesn’t have to be that way.
Usually, when we are in this state we are focused on all the things we don’t like, can’t do, or that aren’t going well.
But what if instead of saying I don’t know, we asked ourselves some questions –
- What are my options?
- What changes could I make?
- What can I do?
- How could I make things different?
This switches our mindset from focusing on the problem to looking for a solution, and we are much more likely to get unstuck when we are looking for possibilities.
2. Stop Burying Your Head In The Sand
Procrastination is a vicious habit that can be hard to escape from.
It sucks all the joy out of our leisure time because we are constantly beating ourselves up about all the things we haven’t done.
There is no magic pill to cure procrastination.
The only way out is to take positive action.
Do one small thing you’ve been putting off. Just one thing – send that email, schedule that appointment, write that CV.
Do it first thing in the morning before you do anything else.
Your day will instantly get better. Then repeat daily and who knows where you’ll be a month from now!
3. Stop Making Excuses
Did you know that doing nothing is still a choice?
The question I like to ask myself is ‘what happens if nothing changes’?
When the thought of nothing changing is worse than the thought of trying something new, it’s definitely time to take some action.
4. Stop Putting Others’ Needs Above Your Own.
You cannot drink from an empty cup i.e. you can’t be there for others if you don’t fill your own cup first.
Looking after your own needs may feel selfish, but it’s what I like to call ‘Responsibly Selfish‘.
If you are someone who tends to automatically say yes and then instantly regret it, start pressing pause before providing a response to a question.
You can do this by saying something like ‘let me think about it and get back to you’ or I’ll check my diary and let you know later’.
In that pause, ask yourself, ‘by saying yes to this, what am I saying no to’? ‘By saying no to this, what am I saying yes to’?
If you’d like more help with this you can download my free guide, ‘How To Say No & Be Ok With It’.
5. Stop Overthinking It
Do you really need more information, experience, or training? Or is it your fear keeping you small and stuck?
Doing something new always seems bigger and scarier than it really is.
However we don’t have to have it all figured out and in reality we won’t know what is further down the road until we pick a path and start walking.
Getting unstuck all starts with taking that first small step.
6. Stop Waiting For The Right Time
The hard truth is that you’re probably never going to feel like it and there is often no perfect time!
These are excuses made up by fear to keep you small and stuck.
You will never feel ready, but that doesn’t mean you can’t feel the fear and do it anyway.
In the words of Nike, just do it!
7. Stop Trying To Do It All Yourself
Talk to someone. Ask for help. Hire an expert. This is what I do when I find myself overthinking and am uncertain about how to move forward.
It works every single time.
Ready To Get Unstuck?
Feeling stuck is rubbish.
It dulls all your sparkle and sucks the joy out of life.
I know because I’ve been there, and that’s how I’ve developed a toolbox full of tools, techniques, and exercises that I can roll out anytime I am faced with that stuck feeling.
If you are tired of your own BS, my coaching programme works through all of these areas, helping you to break free from overwhelm, get unstuck, and design a life and career you won’t want to escape from!
Press the button below to book a free no obligation call to see how I could help you today.