Feeling stuck? Being stuck in a tough situation drains the energy right out of you. You might be stuck working in a legal practice that you don’t like. You might be stuck on a file and spinning your wheels because you don’t know what to do. Whatever stuck looks like for you, here are five creative ways to shift out of stuck and into action.
1. Imagine the future you want
Sit back and think about what you want to have happen. Imagine in detail what that positive future looks like for you.
2. Expand Your Thinking
Get your thinking out of a rut by asking and answering one or more of these questions:
What would you do if you knew you could not fail?
What would you do if you didn’t care what others think?
What could you choose that would make you feel lighter or freer?
3. Remember You Don’t Need to Know it All
It would be great to be handed a complete roadmap but life doesn’t work that way. Instead, commit to taking one small step forward. What’s one thing you can do today?
4. Don’t Wait To Be Confident
Confidence isn’t the starting point; it is the reward that comes from taking action, learning, and developing competence. If you feel fearful or stressed, simply recognize this as a signpost that what you are facing is important. Look within for the courage you need to act. Courage comes first. Confidence comes later.
5. Ask for Help
Sometimes we get stuck because we think we have to do it on our own, or figure it out on our own. Are you missing information? Could you benefit from hearing from someone else’s experience? Would collaborating with someone make it easier?
Sometimes when we cannot see our way forward one of the best things to do is to consult with a mentor, counselor, or coach. Taking action to schedule a meeting to talk about the challenge is a positive step forward. You can tell this advisor about how you are stuck. Together you can strategize about what would be the best small next step to take to start moving forward.
