10 Steps To Help You Move Forward When You’re Stuck
Each of us has had to endure such a condition: you stuck at an impasse and do not know what to do to get out. You may be feeling trapped right now.
There can be many reasons: work on an important project, lack of ideas, too much responsibility that recently fell on your shoulders, or a sharp turn in life (for example, moving or temporary difficulties in the financial sector). Your initial confidence in yourself and your strength has vanished, and you do not understand what to do next. You feel that you yourself have driven yourself into this trap, but you cannot find the resources in yourself to change the current state of affairs.
But let’s be honest: no matter how lost you are and how long you have this feeling, the only thing that comes to mind is to give up. But no panic! We have several working strategies that can help you get started.
10 Steps To Help You Move Forward When You’re Stuck
1 Take a step back – Steps To Help You Move Forward When You’re Stuck
It sounds crazy, but judge for yourself: if you can’t solve the problem at the level of knowledge and experience at which you created it, then you need to step back and look at it again from a different point of view. Often in attempts to solve a problem, we exclude its analysis. We naively believe that giving our best to the maximum, putting even more effort and effort, we will cope with the situation. But that does not work.
Before spending your resources thoughtlessly, think about where you are and what led you to this state of affairs. When you step back a step, a completely different view of familiar things opens up for you.
2 Stop using tools that do not work
When you get stuck in one place, you have two options: to continue to do the same as before, thereby only increasing wasted time and energy, or to get rid of excess, trying new methods to solve your problems. When we are at an impasse, most often we act using the first option – we continue to do what is clearly not working, in the hope that someday this will change.
Old habits, restrictive beliefs and other tools that only keep you in one place – you have to get it all out of your head. Remember to also get rid of the emotional baggage that makes you slow down.
3 Get help – Steps To Help You Move Forward When You’re Stuck
When we are at an impasse, any, even the most insignificant, at first glance, help can help us out. It can be a conversation with a close friend who knows and understands you well or asking for advice from someone who has already been in a similar situation, but who could find a way out of it.
Do not dismiss other ideas, for example, contacting a psychologist who can ask the right questions to help you see the situation from a different angle or a consultant who can share an expert opinion and your experience.
4 Get specific information
It is very difficult to start moving forward if you have not yet fully realized what has led you to a standstill. You should get specific information about what you did wrong. Analyze all your actions and decisions made and track which ones caused you to get stuck in one place. If you articulate the problem itself, you will present its possible solution.
For example, there is a significant difference between the phrases “I feel like I’m at a dead-end” and “I feel like I’m at a dead end because I’m too busy with work.” Ask yourself the question: “What bothers me?” – until you get to the real problem.
5 Take a break in the brain
Remember, in elementary school, everyone had “five minutes” – when the whole class got up and did exercises? It was a great opportunity to take a break from writing and shift focus from studying to something else. Of course, you are no longer a schoolboy, but this does not mean that you no longer need such moments of “switching” attention. If you give your brain time to relax, you can return to solving your problems with a fresh mind and new perspectives.
6 Answer the questions “why?” – Steps To Help You Move Forward When You’re Stuck
Very often the feeling that you are at a dead end arises when you lose sight of what you wanted to achieve. Therefore, it is important to honestly answer leading questions, why you started it, what you expected from your actions, how you imagine your life/work/family, etc.
The answers that first come to your mind will help to remind you of your initial intentions and goals and give internal motivation in order to return to the right path and continue to move on.
7 Brainstorm – Steps To Help You Move Forward When You’re Stuck
When you feel that you are at a dead-end, you do not see any way out of the situation, because you have no options. If you brainstorm and try to generate as many ideas as possible, how can you change the current state of affairs, you will be able to see potential solutions to your problems. Thanks to this, you will get rid of the feeling of hopelessness and will no longer feel trapped.
8 Take action
If you find yourself in a deadlock and all you do is sit back, then stop waiting for salvation from nowhere or sudden illumination. The only one who is able to help you move at least a step is yourself. It depends on you whether you will continue to stand still or finally begin to move towards the goal.
9 Create a step-by-step plan – Steps To Help You Move Forward When You’re Stuck
Not just a plan like “find a solution to a problem, solve a problem” – this is unlikely to help you get off the ground. The plan should be step-by-step – each action needs to be thought out from the beginning to the end, determine a time frame for it, and also provide options for the development of events if something goes wrong according to the plan. In this case, you will be mentally prepared to deal with the circumstances and cease to feel trapped.
10 Change your state
Sometimes your emotional state is the reason for your “dead end”. If you are tired of stress and worries, are under pressure from the outside or are forced to do what only bothers you, urgently begin an operation to save yourself from a hostile environment. Do something that can cheer you up, take a short break in the business, spend time with those who are dear to you.
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