When I coach someone in a one-time Kickstart Session, I often start the meeting by asking what he or she most wants to gain from our session.
Lately, responses have by and large focused on two areas:
“I need clarity.”
“I need to get unstuck.”
These two topics intertwine beautifully – as in, once you progress in one, the other will tend to follow suit. Today I’d like to offer three simple steps to help you with that second challenge, getting unstuck.
What Is ‘Stuck’?
Being stuck very likely falls into that category of ‘you know it when you feel it.’ You may feel stuck in a rut, stuck in your career, or stuck in a lifestyle that no longer serves you.
You may also feel stuck in terms of hitting a plateau: can’t seem to grow your business, move up in leadership, or increase your income, for example.
And oftentimes, ‘stuckness’ takes the form of the proverbial hamster wheel: always busy, frequently exhausted, running a million miles an hour, yet feeling like you have little to show for it.
However you feel stuck, you know one thing for sure: It’s not fun.
3 Steps To Get Unstuck
Fortunately, you don’t need to stay in this frustrating, often confidence-depleting space, and breaking free may not be as difficult as you think. Give one of these steps a try:
1. Create A Breakthrough Map
The more you can get things out of your head (i.e., onto paper), the more quickly you can get unstuck. A Breakthrough Map – aka mind map or brainstorming map – works wonders.
I’ve written my step-by-step process for Breakthrough Maps here, so I won’t repeat those details. What I will say is that I create a Breakthrough Map probably once a week. It’s one of my go-to strategies when I feel stuck and also when I need to increase ideas, expand my mindset, or break any large project down into manageable pieces.
I often do this in partnership with coaching clients as well. The sense of lightness and possibility they experience is palpable! All you need to implement this idea is a piece of paper and a pen.
2. Step Out Of Your Norm.
Perhaps you have heard suggestions like “Drive a new route to work” or “Rearrange your office” and brushed them off as too simplistic. Science shows us, however, that even small shifts can start to create new neural pathways, ultimately helping us to view things differently, think new thoughts, and experience life from other perspectives.
So, take a different route to work. Eat your breakfast on the deck instead of in the kitchen. Take a healthy action that you wouldn’t normally take – or one that you’ve been putting off. (On that note, checking things off your list – experiencing a sense of completion – can serve as a fantastic way to get unstuck!)
3. Partner With A Pro.
Whenever people ask what I would do differently if I were starting my business now, my response comes to mind immediately: I would secure help sooner. Nothing keeps a person stuck like taking action after action after action and still not getting anywhere.
Everything changed for me when I hired my first coach – which is why, even after 16+ years in business, I still always have a coach!
You don’t have to figure everything out yourself. The objectivity that another person, especially a trained professional, can provide is an invaluable gift. You are worth the investment in your growth. Whether a coach, therapist, or other skilled resource, partner up. I bet you’ll start feeling less stuck even before your first meeting!
Which one of these tips will you implement? What other strategies help you get unstuck? Share your thoughts below, or on Instagram or Facebook!
Ready to get unstuck? Contact me today about coaching opportunities!