Do you ever feel stuck? Like you just don’t have a clue about what to do next? Or maybe you know what to do next but you are scared. Scared that it won’t work, you won’t be good enough, it’ll fail, you’ll be rejected… Oh honey, we’ve all been there.
There are a whole spectrum of emotions that we feel when we find ourselves stuck and unable to move forward. Sometimes it’s intense like a paralysing fear but other times it could be as soft as procrastination. But whatever it is, it certainly keeps us from moving forward and up. So how can we fix this? By simply starting.
Taking one small step, even if we are quivering in our little space boots, is all it takes for momentum to start and for us to realise ‘hey, this ain’t so bad. I should’ve done this alot sooner!’ But the first step always feels like the hardest. And it is! The reason why the first step is the hardest because it has to break through our resistance. The one small, seemingly insignificant step has to climb over our excuses and kick our butts out of victim land. It’s tough.
But not impossible.
Here are my 5 tips to taking that first step:
- Ask yourself ‘what result do I want?’ and get crystal clear on what it looks like, feels like, sounds like… We cannot have what we cannot articulate. If the vision feels and looks vague then of course you are going to feel stuck – how do get somewhere when the destination is a mystery? So start off by getting really clear about what it is you are wanting to achieve. It helps to write it out, visualise the results and brainstorm with a friend.
- Does it look too big? How can you break it apart to make up some baby steps? You may not know all the exact steps to take that will get you from where you are now to what you want. But you can at least nut out what the first three steps are. And in any scenario, I find that these steps are fail safes: look for people who have been there/done that, ask what they did, implement one thing that they did.
- Remind yourself why you want this. Get all crazy fan-girl about your dream. Write it a love note. Get all gooey with love and passion for your goal. Don’t wait for motivation to come find you – you need to generate it yourself.
- Ask yourself these questions:
What is stopping me right now from taking this step?
How can I get rid of that block?
What can I do, within my realm of control, to side step this goal?
Who do I need to speak to for help and support?
What do I need to believe about myself right now for me to take this next step?
What is the worst that could happen and could I survive it? - Then finally, as the beautiful Michelle Bridges would say ‘Just Freakin’ Do It’. Because why the hell not!
The fear is not going to go away. So stop waiting for it to. Instead, embrace feeling nervous and scared knowing that those feelings are a true indication that you are in for one hell of a ride! Because, let’s face it, life isn’t about feeling safe and warm all the time. So get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
If you want more help getting Unstuck, then download my free book “Help! I’m Stuck!”. It breaks down the 8 major obstacles we face and how to over come them. Get your free copy here.