Feeling Stuck? 3 Ways to Get Unstuck

From time to time, everyone feels stuck in their lives. Being stuck is the feeling of being dissatisfied with where you are and not knowing how to get where you want to be. Getting stuck is a natural part of growth and change. Over the last few years, I have learned that many times in my life when I felt stuck, I was just in a holding pattern while things were lining up for me. However, when you dwell on the fact that you feel stuck, it can lead to depression. So let's consider some things that can help you get unstuck.

1. MINDSET

Feeling stuck may be a result of a fixed mindset, or a belief that things cannot change. In her book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, Carol Dweck contrasts a fixed mindset with a growth mindset. When you adopt a growth mindset, you understand that things can change. For example, if someone is stuck in a job they don't like and they have a fixed mindset they may tell themselves that they have to stay at that job because they have no other skills. If that same person had a growth mindset, they would tell themselves that change is possible when they acquire the necessary skills. The person with the fixed mindset stays stuck, but the person with the growth mindset goes after the training they need and moves on to a better job.

To develop a growth mindset challenge your own ideas about things that are permanent in your life. Brainstorm ways to make changes you previously assumed impossible You can also schedule a session with me and I can teach you to change your mindset.

2. ACCOUNTABILITY

Feeling stuck may come from a lack of direction. When you realize that you are the author of your own life you can make some changes. Sit down and write a script of where you want to go. Having a map makes it much easier to get to your destination. Then you can take action steps to get where you want to go. For example, a young adult looking for a romantic relationship bounce from partner to partner feeling dissatisfied. If they take a few moments to identify exactly what they want in a partner, they can take actions that will line them up with that partner. When you are accountable for your own life, if you want a partner who treats you well, you can't continue to make excuses for a partner who treats you badly.

To become accountable for your own life consider your role in your current circumstances. What did you do to get you where you are today? What can you do to get you somewhere else? You can also schedule a session with me with me and I can show you how to be accountable.

3. EMPOWERMENT

Feeling stuck may come from a lack of control over the situation. We often experience things as happening "to us" and we don't acknowledge our own role in our circumstances. Many times we have more power than we think. Although we cannot stop bad things from happening, we can control the way we respond to those things. In Man's Search for Meaning, Victor Frankl, points out that we always have a choice about how to react even if we do not have a choice about our circumstances. Gratitude is a great way to change our reaction to a situation we cannot change. When you focus on all the wonderful things that are currently in your life, you will feel unstuck because you will lose the feeling of being dissatisfied.

To become empowered, make a list of all of your best qualities. Think about how you can use those qualities to get you where you want to go. Make a list of things you are grateful for in your life. You can also schedule a session with me and I can help you identify your best qualities and show you how to use them effectively.