How to Get Unstuck
I think we can all relate to a time in our lives when we have just felt stuck.
There are many areas of our lives we can feel stuck. We can feel stuck when it comes to our:
⋒ Fitness Journey
⋒ Mental Health
⋒ Next Career Move
⋒ Starting a Family
We make so many decisions all day every day, so we are bound to feel stuck in one or many areas of our lives at some point.
So how do you know what step to take next? Well, let me break it down for you.
Contentment vs. Complacency
First I want to identify the difference between contentment vs. complacency. These two things are not the same, and it is important to realize what state you are in currently in order to move forward in your life.
Contentment = to be happy with what you have and find satisfaction in your present circumstances even if you aren’t exactly where you want to be.
Complacency = being unsatisfied with how your life is right now but being unwilling to make changes to improve your circumstances.
So our goal here clearly is to be content with our life. No matter where we find ourselves, we want to find satisfaction in our current circumstances. This is truly going to come down to finding clarity in our lives and our path.
Clarity
Now we can all agree that finding clarity is a good thing. But there is a difference between desiring clarity and being obsessed with finding clarity. Here are the differences.
When you desire clarity:
⋒ You want to make a positive impact with your gifts.
⋒ You want to feel fulfilled and confident in your purpose.
⋒ You want to be a good steward of your time and energy.
When you're obsessed with finding clarity:
⋒ You live in a constant state of worry/stress about the future.
⋒ You struggle with being content with your life.
⋒ You often have a tough time being present in the moment.
And before we go any farther, I want to let you know:
So what is really holding you back from finding this clarity and making your next step? Some of the reasons could be:
Fear
Doubt
Perfectionism
Comparison
Overthinking
Busyness/Lack of stillness
So I want you to identify what is holding you back, then take the next steps in moving forward.
Strategies to Help You Get Unstuck with Decision-Making
So let me give you some practical steps on making the next move in your life.
01. Making the next ONE decision, not the next TEN
Without realizing it, sometimes we are worried not about the next step itself but about the
next couple of steps. Reel those thoughts in and zero in on the next true step...one! Decide what that step is, act on it, and repeat.
02. Brain Dumping
Brain dumping is an exercise that is used to clear mental clutter. Sometimes, we feel overwhelmed by determining our next step because we have so much floating around in our minds. When we make intentional space, we invite clarity in.
03. Practice Consistent Stillness
What it looks like: Clarity doesn’t like clutter so we have to make an effort to BE STILL
regularly. We need to stop thinking that stillness is the same as “doing nothing.” Stillness is not passive - it is active. It’s actively grounding yourself to the present moment.
Practical ways to do this:
⋒ Spend 5 minutes in prayer and meditation first thing in the morning.
⋒ Have designated “no consuming” times built into your day (think: showering or driving).
⋒ Give your mind space to just BE.
⋒ Practice breath-work. There is a lot of science that backs up breath-work improving
anxiety.
A note on finding peace in the unknown
There is freedom in knowing that the next step you take is the right one.
Most steps that we take are not permanent so we can remove the pressure that we’ve
put on the decision and instead enjoy the process of discovering the next step in front of us!
If you loved this week's blog post and want to dive even deeper into this topic check out the BFF coaching package "How To Figure Out Your Next Step".
And if you want monthly coaching sessions on topics just like these, join us in the BFF Membership!
But if you find yourself really stuck particularly in the area of what you should be doing with your life, I encourage you to check out the Dream It Do It Workshop.
Dream. It. Do. It. is my workshop-style course that teaches you how to get clear on your dream and create a plan of action to make it happen.