Have you always imagined a happy life for yourself when you were a child, hoping that you’ll be successful in everything you do and have fantastic opportunities in all segments of your exciting everyday life journey?
We’re all guilty of that dream.
However, now you’ve grown up and all of a sudden found yourself in a not-so-favorable situation?
You feel like you’ve hit a wall and your life is everything but not fulfilling as you’ve imagined it?
Maybe your career sucks or you’re feeling stuck with your love life? Or you’re unhappy for any other reason? Never mind. Even if you feel the reason is out of your control at the moment.
Here’s what matters:
You CAN get unstuck and improve the quality of your life. What you need is a willingness and strong motivation to take action towards your goal – a fulfilling life.
With the help of the following proven methods to get unstuck, you’ll no longer feel stagnant. So, check them out, choose what works best for you, and start thriving and living a more satisfying life you deserve.
Here’s how:
1: Find the Root of the Problem
There’s no way you can successfully move forward towards a solution if you haven’t figured out what the problem is and why it occurred. Don’t you agree?
Haven’t you heard of the old saying:
‘Identifying the problem is half of the solution’?
Dedicating some time to self-reflection is a critical initial step towards becoming unstuck because the reasons behind your actions are what drives your self-progress.
Taking a closer look deep down into your soul will enable you to dig out the hidden issue(s) that keep you paralyzed, be it:
- the fear of unknown
- the fear of failure and making mistakes
- the feeling of self-judgment
- low self-esteem
- the fact that you simply like staying in your comfort zone or whatever else it is
Just make sure you’re brutally honest with yourself when answering the core question:
‘What’s genuinely blocking me inside from moving forward?’
Even talking about it with a sincere friend who knows you well or keeping a journal can help you identify the root of the problem.
Upon becoming aware of what’s holding you back and stopping you from making progress in life, a whole new world of possible solutions will open up before you.
Then, you have a solid ground for changing your status quo.
2: Figure Out Your Life Passion and Purpose
By purpose in life, we don’t mean your goals, job, family responsibilities or your common roles in life.
Your life purpose is an aspiration that you feel is bigger than you and it’s a critical driving force for your personal growth.
Think about these questions:
- What are you passionate about?
- What makes you feel truly alive and happy?
- What inspires you most and why?
- What would you fight for no matter what obstacles you face?
The key answer you need is in “the thing” you enjoy doing most and you’re so committed to that the notion of time doesn’t exist for you when you immerse yourself in that activity. Also, you’re highly motivated to persist despite the stress or exhaustion it causes you at times. You always want more of it and you always strive to be better if not best at it.
When you realize what thrills and drives you, what boosts your self-confidence, start applying the same principles to the other aspects in your life that make you feel stuck and you’re on the road to reaching your full potential.
Only when you explore and define what your genuine life passion and purpose is will you be able to grow as a human being and live your life to the fullest potential.
A study proved that living a purposeful life is associated with better mental and physical health, including longevity. So, you’ll have the privilege of enjoying these and many other benefits of living with purpose as a result of finding what makes you feel good about yourself.
3: Change Your Attitude
Changing your perspective is necessary for the ability to open yourself up to fresh ideas and ways out of your stagnant reality.
Starting with small daily changes will help you reach your goals and eventually start feeling unstuck and content. Perhaps you could try some or all of the techniques below.
- Spend some time alone every day to get the insight into your inner being and become mindful (meditation also works for some people). Here’s what practicing mindfulness is about
- Forgive yourself and stop blaming yourself for the past mistakes. They’re behind you now. Leave them where they belong and move on. Get rid of that negative emotional luggage or you’ll sink to the bottom.
- Travel somewhere for a couple of days to take a break and get the distance you need from your everyday reality. Take a weekend out of town or go camping or a day or two in the woods with your friends.
- Start exercising if you haven’t so far to help you clear your mind and de-stress.
- Do a creative activity every day (e.g. while playing with children) to stimulate your brain, shake up the way you think and relax.
These daily steps of clearing your mind and letting go of your past will then lead you to bigger ones of changing your perspective, truly loving yourself and observing your life in new ways.
Soon you’ll realize that changing your mindset for success is a real no-brainer. (For more details on how to do it with ease, follow the link provided.)
4: Nudge Yourself to Overcome the Passiveness
Are you a procrastinator? Always tend to keep more or less lazy and passive when it comes to real action – taking a concrete step towards your goal?
Well, many people are…
There’s a simple trick that can help you overcome such obstacles on your way to getting unstuck. It’s called nudging. Ever heard of The Nudge Theory?
Here’s Professor Richard Thaler, the Nobel prize winner, briefly explaining the concept of nudging:
So, nudging yourself can have numerous positive effects on your behavior and help you become unstuck.
5: Dare to Experiment
Even individuals who are satisfied with their career or relationship may feel stuck at times. The reason for that feeling lies in repeating patterns in life, which causes boredom.
To avoid our happiness turning into boredom, we shouldn’t keep doing the same activities over and over again.
Instead, we should aim at finding different experiences that will trigger different outcomes. That’s the food our brain craves.
Scientists also support this approach. Here’s what Psychology Today says that happy people do differently:
Change is the name of the game. Take the road less taken. Don’t be afraid to experiment in search of fulfillment. Learn new skills. Visit new places. In a word – grow.
6: Don’t Measure Your Success Based on Comparison With Others
It’s in our human nature to compare ourselves with others and you can hardly avoid it. Still, you should mind your criteria and make wise comparisons.
Be aware that your rhythm and pace of progress in life differ from your friends’, family members’ or anyone else’s you compare yourself with. Otherwise, you risk feeling down and even more stuck when you see others are doing better than you.
Make sure your perceptions are realistic and not idealistic.
Just because you haven’t achieved what they have by the age you’ve planned or wanted it, that doesn’t mean you are stagnating or failing. Don’t fall into a trap of measuring your worth in terms of failures and successes.
Even better:
Stay away from comparisons as much as you can.
We are all unique and have our own unique journeys in life, which makes any comparison pointless, right?
If you don’t like your journey, it’s never too late for a change.
Remember:
7: Recognize When It’s Time to Shift Your Focus
Perhaps you’ve always wanted to become a world-class tennis player and you’ve practiced a lot. But somehow you haven’t been able to reach the level of Novak Djokovic you’ve aspired to.
So what? Do you think it means you’re a failure?
Absolutely NO way!
It doesn’t mean you’re stuck or worthless. Maybe this is simply not your thing.
That’s what’s important to recognize.
And when you do realize a project is stagnant, not really constructive for you and you can’t complete it, just drop it guilt-free. Leave it behind and shift the focus of your attention to other aspects of your life.
If you keep pushing yourself, it may be counterproductive. So, be smart and admit to yourself when enough is enough.
Stop chasing for more at any cost but try valuing who you are and being grateful for what you have at the moment. Sometimes we all need to learn how to accept things we can’t change as they are.
8: Don’t Be Afraid to Ask For Help
Remember – you cannot and should not always do everything alone. No one expects you to know everything and have all the answers at every moment.
So, don’t be too harsh on yourself and learn when it’s time to ask for help.
When you feel stuck in your love life, you could share your thoughts and feelings with a friend you trust. Also, when you feel stuck at work, you could talk to a trustworthy colleague or even better – to your boss.
Just be honest and fair. Show the willingness to learn and change and people will be ready to lend a hand.
If you find your situation deadly serious, consider asking for professional support from someone who can and will help you to:
- figure out why you are stuck
- change your unhealthy and negative thought patterns that are hindering your progress, and
- find ways to get yourself unstuck eventually
If you’re ready to ask for help, then you are unquestionably powerful enough to take steps towards the desired fulfilling life of your dreams.
Take Action
If you feel like you’ve hit a wall in your life, rest assured that it’s just a phase and never ever give up.
There’s always something you can do to change your life for the better:
- Note down your big long-term goals
- Break them down into actionable yearly, monthly, weekly and/or daily steps (mini goals)
- Set and list your priorities
- Make a detailed action plan to help you accomplish your goals (checking things off your list when accomplished helps you feel motivated to persist)
- Take action and do your best to minimize the unnecessary stress, have fun and enjoy yourself along the way
Those actions often require effort, but you’re worth it. Don’t you agree?
Also, bear in mind that we all get stuck in life from time to time and we all feel the same. You’re not alone.
The handy hacks we’ve explained above can be the first steps in improving your life and gaining happiness. Also, you may benefit from these 10 Powerful Strategies to Move Forward When Feeling Stuck in Life.
Try them out and do what works best for you.
You can do it!
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