Have you come to one of those places in life where you’re feeling stuck? Maybe it’s in your career. Or finances. Or relationships. Or physical fitness.
There’s an odd thing about being stuck: The more you fight it, the more stuck you feel. Some describe it as being like quicksand. It’s a setup for terrible anxiety and ultimately total despair, if you allow yourself to believe there’s truly no way out.
That’s why, in order to get unstuck, the first thing you have to do is…
STOP.
“STOP,” says resilience expert and inspirational speaker Diane Sieg. Diane spent 23 years literally putting people back together while working in emergency rooms across the country. Then she wrote, STOP Living Life Like an EMERGENCY! Rescue Strategies for the Overworked and Overwhelmed, and now organizations hire her to help their people take better care of themselves and prevent the painful breakdowns.
It’s critical that you take some quiet time for yourself (tweet this), Diane says, in order to create space to get clarity about next steps. Think of how a glass of water swirling with fine sediment clarifies when it is allowed to sit still and settle. The effect is much the same when you still yourself.
Set Your Course.
From this place of clarity, you must “define where you want to go in specific and measurable terms,” (tweet this) says Joseph Michelli, Ph.D.–sharing advice that’s not so different from that which he offers to organizations who hire him to help them develop a joyful and productive workplace with a focus on the total customer experience. (Joseph is an internationally sought-after speaker, consultant, and author of multiple bestsellers, including his latest book, Driven to Delight: Delivering World-Class Customer Experience the Mercedes-Benz Way.)
If this step sounds daunting, know that you don’t have to do it alone.
“You may want to bring in a mentor, coach, therapist, or best friend to discuss,” Diane advises.
“Seek out an accountability partner to measure progress toward those goals,” Joseph adds. “Scan your network for resources who can help you circumnavigate barriers and tirelessly keep ‘moving your feet’ in the direction of your goals.”
And that’s the final “secret” of getting unstuck:
Go!
From this place of no tension, yet with clear intention… get moving!
“Motion creates emotion,” says top motivational speaker Chip Eichelberger, and “emotion creates energy, and energy creates activity.” (tweet this)
Chip was once the international point man for Tony Robbins, and for the past 20 years, he’s been helping people “Get Switched On!” with his highly interactive conference sessions that engage people at a deep level and get them to take an honest, hard look at where they are and where they need to be.
“Often when people feel stuck they are stuck and literally not moving,” Chip says.
“Quit whining and feeling sorry for yourself,” he continues. Exchange those disempowering thoughts for more empowering ones.
“Adversity will only make you stronger,” Chip reminds us. “Your beliefs about your situation will dictate your actions. Realize that everything happens for a reason and a purpose and it serves you.”
So, to sum up the advice of our experts:
Pause and take a breath. Be still.
Get clear about where you want to go.
And then… MOVE!
Just because you are stuck doesn’t mean you have to stay stuck.
This less-than-desirable season you’ve been in can propel you to new heights in the future, if you’ll engage in the process.
