Ever feel stuck?
Too burned out or discouraged to move forward?
Ever felt mad at yourself for not making progress, but at the same time, not sure why?
Yeah. I get it.
I haven’t posted on this blog in a while. Why?
Lately, I've just felt...
...well, stuck.
It’s not just me. Psychology Today reports that depression is rarely recognized by high-achievers. For a high number of executives, “getting to the top only brings crippling emotional bleakness.”
To make things worse, when overachievers become clinically depressed, they fall harder than those without big goals. Yet, achievers are least likely to seek help.
Just when you think it can’t get any worse... it does.
If you’re not fascinated by your work or life, it’s easy to get discouraged, demoralized, and even depressed.
How to get reengaged?
Robert Frost wrote, “The best way out is always through.” Yet how can you move through the hard part, and back into your flow?
Below, I’ll share my 11 inspirations for getting unstuck, and re-fascinated with your work and life.
11. Fear causes paralysis. (Click to tweet)
The antidote? Action. Only action allows you to reclaim control, and get moving again.
10. Mistakes are tuition. (Click to tweet)
The trick isn’t to avoid failure; it’s to know how to cope with failure when it does happen.
9. The most powerful incentive for success is... failure. (Click to tweet)
Studies on children born in terrible situations, such as depression or war, showed that they grow up heartier, more resilient, and ultimately have a better chance of success.
8. Work towards the positive, not away from the negative. (Click to tweet)
It’s impossible to win if your goal is to avoid losing. Looking ahead helps you come from a place of power.
7. Embrace your inner underdog. (Click to tweet)
At its worst, feeling like an underdog can shut you down. At its best, being pushed down can call you forth to perform at the highest level. Richard Branson, founder of Virgin, describes how he grew from a tiny record mailing-order company into an empire with dozens of divisions by never losing touch with his underdog’s agility. Be an underdog, and challenge the 800-lb gorilla.
6. Wrestle defeat to the ground. (Click to tweet)
Some days, success is about luck, or talent, or skill. But most days, success is about wrestling defeat to the ground until it screams uncle.
5. Expect people to say you can’t make it. (Click to tweet)
Economics student Fred Smith outlined an idea for an overnight delivery service, and was awarded a ‘C’. Smith went on to create FedEx. In your own life, where are you supposedly average, but actually simply unrecognized as exceptional? Being true to you requires being the biggest, best version of yourself. Beware of people who want to pull you down to keep them company. Don’t let anyone cram you into a smaller reality.
4. Pull rabbits out of hats, even when there are no rabbits and no hats. (Click to tweet)
Rarely will you have the resources, tools, training, and support necessary to succeed. In fact, you can pretty much count on success seeming like impossibility. This does not mean it is impossible.
3. Higher goals have the potential for lower crashes. (Click to tweet)
If it was easy, everyone would do it.
2. Protect hope at all costs. (Click to tweet)
There is something worse than losing your job, your reputation, your nest egg, even your pride. And that is losing hope. The whole point of careering is to create a position of strength. Taking a pay cut, trying and failing, being embarrassed— all these can be reversed. But once your hope dies, it’s very, very hard to get back. Arianna Huffington said, “Sometimes the best way to finish a project is to just drop it completely.”
1. Long lives optimism. (Click to tweet)
Don’t avoid the fine line between feeling inspired and nervous. That’s where your best self becomes most alive.
If you don’t experience feeling stuck, odds are you’re not truly putting yourself out there, taking risks and fully engaging.
Sometimes, fear (and its cousin, demoralization) is the best thing that could happen. That’s where breakthroughs live and breathe.
The question isn’t if you’ll get stuck... it’s how you’ll respond when you do.
I got unstuck. Finally.
That’s how I’m writing this to you, right now, here, today.
Thank you for being part of my unstuckness.
We all feel stuck (or trapped or demoralized or frozen) at times. If you know someone who can’t seem to get back in the groove, share this with them.
SHARE YOUR STORY:
What makes you feel stuck? And, what helps you feel unstuck?
When nearly everyone agrees with my "Project Perfect Dayz" & yet with its theory & method being so universal...as in "too big to fail" cant seem to organize the expert assistance & common manpower to develope... money can only do so much on a mission to SOLVE humanities blocks from "Creating as much harmony as possable"...
I have found that when I'm stuck and/or down (mostly on myself) that taking a walk in nature always lifts my spirits. I'm fortunate to live near a Canadian National Park, where we hike regularly. One day as we hiked the path, I began to look more closely at the trees, the sky, the big rocks; I listened to the birds chirping and then I really felt so grateful for my life, for all the beauty, for life in general. Yes, it was my gratitude that lifted me up.. to a higher place and my depression began to evaporate; I'd found my momentum again.
Having too many options leaves me stuck. But I don't always notice this at that moment. Like there's a disconnect or moment of shock before I realize what's going on.
I get unstuck by finding the quick win to boost my morale so I can tackle a larger, more difficult task with stronger confidence and momentum.
Good timing for me. I am inspired by this. My journey is leading me to retirement with my husband who I adore. Thank you for your words of wisdom.
There is an awesome ipad app called Unstuck (https://www.unstuck.com/) which will lead you through a series of questions and activities to get you unstuck by first recognising your particular 'stuckness' and then making suggestions for what you can do about it. I've found it quite helpful in the past (and no, I'm in no way associated with those folks - it's just a good and useful little app).
Amazing article. Love it! thank you Sally
Thank you so much for posting this! I'm saving this for future reference. One thing I've found that helps me lately with being stuck is using essential oils for emotional support. Motivate, Passion, Serenity, Peaced( all by doTerra).... Don't know what I'd do without them lately. Your turtle picture does add relevance and thanks to all who have commented- I found many of them to also be of value. Blessings!
This is an AWESOME and simple message in many very meaningful ways! Anyone reading this would get a real understanding of how to continue on a path of success and begin anew each day, task and road ahead. Thank YOU!! for sharing your gifts with us... FASCINATING!!!
Thank you Sally for your authentic sharing and unplugging! You continue to connect us with our inner underdog to unleash the champion within. Thank you for your insights and inspiration!
Thanks for the words of wisdom, Sally. They came at a great time! Number 8 in particular resonated with me. When you're coming out of a depression or making your way through a traumatic experience, it's so easy to simply focus on getting through a minute or an hour at a time--and sometimes, that's exactly what you need to do to survive. But if you really want to "LIVE!!!" (as Auntie Mame would put it, you have to have a life-affirming, glowingly positive goal to work towards, or you won't thrive. Thanks again for the reminder. š