Do you feel stuck? Not sure which way to go? Whether in an unhealthy relationship, in a business or in making a decision, being stuck is an absolutely terrible and helpless feeling. Sadly, even when you have lived 50+ years, you can still get in a rut.
Here are five ideas to try that can get you out of that rut and back on the road.
- How and why did you get stuck? Take a few minutes to figure out how you got in a rut to start with and what’s holding you here. What decisions did you make or what circumstances occurred to put you in this unpleasant place? You might want to read Do You Know Yourself? for tips on understanding yourself.
- Re-assess where you want to be. Envision yourself “unstuck” and what you’d do if you weren’t stuck. Would you act differently? Have other priorities? Reach for higher goals? Think about the positive feelings that becoming unstuck would bring.
- Resolve to let go of whatever got you stuck. Then, make a decision that right now is the last time you’ll allow any situation to get you stuck. In Master of Life, Bill Ferguson says “letting go is the key to having life work.”
- Re-evaluate your actions and time. Think about doing things differently. This may mean not only adjusting your attitude and priorities, but also trying new approaches in problem-solving and taking on new challenges. As long as you repeat the actions that caused you to get stuck, you’ll remain stuck. The great Albert Einstein’s definition of “insanity” was always doing things the same way and expecting different results.
- Rejuvenate your confidence and your will to move forward. Getting “unstuck” is taking productive steps and making corrective decisions until you’re no longer in the muck. The further you get from whatever slowed you down, the more you’ll find yourself growing exponentially.
