What if you are stuck? 3 Tips to get going again!

You started strong. You were motivated. You worked day and night on your goals. But suddenly things slowed down. Something happened. You couldn’t get yourself to do the work anymore – each day you did less and less, until… you end up where you started: in front of the TV, scrolling Facebook or using any other distractions, and not doing A THING to get closer to your goal(s)…

But hey, there is hope! You CAN get UNSTUCK again!!! How do I know? I DID it! Many, many times…

It would be nice if I could tell you that I am over that, or that I have THE tip it never happens, but, frankly spoken, I get to that “stuck”-point over and over again. But I’ve found some methods helping me to get out of it very quickly!

In the following I share 3 simple tips that help me to get unstuck faster in a healthy way every time… What works for me might work for you, and that’s why I am writing this.

Tip No. 1: Awareness & Acceptance

Sounds simple but might not be. The first thing that helps you to get over your blockage is to be aware that this is the case and build a kind of acceptance. Acknowledge that you are where you are, that you are currently not working on your goals, that you are avoiding doing the necessary things, and that you are falling back into bad habits. This might not change your behavior and you will still go on watching TV shows or whatever it is what you do when you are not doing what you are supposed to do ;).

Being brutally honest with yourself is important. Even if it is uncomfortable. First of all, it reduces the danger of denial. This means, if you deny that you are currently stuck and not doing what you should do, there is a much higher risk you “forget” what you really want and what your goals really are. In the worst case, before you know years have passed… if your goal is not to spend most of your life in front of a TV – it is better to be aware than to deny! And secondly, honesty is always a good thing, and more so if you are talking to yourself. I know from my own experience that we are able to lie to ourselves, but I do also know, that this does not serve us in any way.

The acceptance part means that you don’t have to let yourself down just because you are not ready to take the necessary action at the moment. Be gentle to yourself. Accept that there are reasons you might not yet understand which led you to this point. Don’t talk bad about yourself, don’t be your worst critic for not being perfect. Show understanding and comfort for yourself as you would do for a good friend in a similar situation. This will help you, in the long run, to get out of the situation and get going again. No one can be productive and fruitful if your mind or better your inner self is blocked by self-hatred, low self-esteem, and doubt – remember that…

Tip No. 2: Imagination / Goals /  Thoughts

While being aware of your situation and accepting it you are not forced to keep any thoughts about your goals away. In my experience this would be happening if you try to deny the situation you are in and “displace” it. But you are following Tip 1, so you are fully aware of what you are doing! And that allows you to let the thoughts about your real goals floating in your mind, even if you are not at them for this moment.

Imagine: Gently and carefully allow yourself to imagine what might happen to your life if you stay where you are every now and then. Maybe just right before you put the TV on or start scrolling your favorite Social Media… Allow yourself to imagine what never happens for SURE if you are staying in this situation every day. If the pressure gets too high and you feel that you just want to wipe the upcoming feelings away, try to let it go. Accept the situation – do what you are currently doing, watch your TV, scroll your social media, read a book and ENJOY it – and start over tomorrow.

Thinking: Think about your goals. Maybe you have them put down somewhere. Think about why you’ve set those goals. What was your inner motivation to start to work on those goals? What did you want to achieve and most importantly WHY did you want to achieve those goals? Let those thoughts work in your mind with no pressure. Just let them flow!

Be aware of your uncontrolled, unconscious thoughts! Try to recognize and immediately change negative thoughts into positive ones! Examples: “I will never get there” “I am not worthy” “Who am I trying to do this” “I am not good enough” etc. – I guess you know which kind of thoughts I am talking about! Those who let you down, make you feel miserable and bad! Change them into “Of course, I will get where I want to be” or “I am worthy of all the good in the world” “I am born for this” or whatever positive affirmations might come to mind. I have a Affirmation Collection prepared for any state of mind I am in, you may download it here, if you struggle to find some.

Goals: If you are ready concentrate your mind and feelings on your goals, just by imagining how you will feel once you achieve them. Weigh your goals, how important is it to reach this goal. What would your life look like if you have achieved it? Maybe there are better goals to find for yourself, listen to your heart and your soul, not so much to your mind, which might be influenced from the outer world, from other peoples opinions or the society – What we want, what we truly desire is found in ourselves, in our hearts or in our soul, whatever you want to call it. Try to connect to your soul, your inner power. Maybe it helps to remember yourself as a child: what was on your mind and in your heart as a child? What desires did you feel? What did you like? What brought you joy and fun? For me, that is the closest I can get – while feeling disconnected to my inner self in my adult-life – to what I really, really want in life. And it helps me with setting my life goals for now.

Tip No. 3: Making the first step!

If I am following these first 2 Tips myself I sooner or later get closer and closer to getting back on track. How do I know that? The behavior I used to displace my good habits will feel less and less good. And get boring, not satisfying, useless (as they are)… That’s what I experience, at least and I hope it will work for you, too. But still, I can find myself doing it. So what is the secret sauce to really get out of the situation? TAKE THE FIRST STEP! This can be anything. Read a book that is helpful to you regarding the goal(s) you want to achieve. Look at your last content/product/creation you made, where you stopped, and try to finish it. Talk to friends about your goals again (only the supportive ones of course – don’t talk to the nay-Sayers!). Start journaling again! And finally, do the first action step towards your goal again!

That’s it. As soon as the first step is done, you will be back on track. You get in the flow easily again and don’t look back. Sometimes it takes more than one step to be the REAL first step, but it will happen. You will find yourself doing all the things you need to do again to achieve what you truly desire.

An important note at the end:

I am aware that what I stated here is simplified a lot. But… it works for me, as simple as that. I am not here to replace a therapist, a doctor, a life or business coach. I am just like you – stuck sometimes – and these are things that work for me. But hey, if you after reading this feel you need much more support than this, good!!!  Get it! I am open for a conversation & help if you want, there are professionals out there for deeper help if you feel you need that, and you can do a lot more about it, as much as you want and need. If you feel that after reading my little article I’ve done my work because you are now aware of what you need and why! And Awareness is ALWAYS the first step. I wish you all the best and that you achieve what you desire!

I would love to hear what you think, use the comment section to express your thoughts and get into a conversation! If you think this article is helpful please share it and spread the word!