I tend to get stuck or blocked as I approach big milestones and this being my 80th post seems to be getting in my way, as my words refuse to find the page. I had nothing to say yesterday and I fear more of the same today, but I force myself to try anyway. Repeatedly reminding myself that a word after a word after a word is all it takes.
I continue to watch the limited hours I set aside to write fly by. When my words refuse to flow forwards, I choose to look back. Convinced that something I have written in the past will spark something new inside of me. I begin to analyze everything I have written here over the past few years: 79 essays, 85,000 words, equivalent to 406 pages.
Surely if I was able to accomplish all that, I can will a thousand more words to take shape. But they still don’t arrive. The longer I sit, the more uncomfortable I feel. What started as a tiny writing block now feels like an ever expanding crevasse. I begin to wonder if I have anything left to say. I begin to second guess and doubt everything. I begin to question if writing is actually my thing.
The more stuck I feel, the more I find the word (stuck) streaming through my inbox. Other women I admire sharing their own stuck-ness and/or strategies for getting unstuck. I laugh out loud because apparently ‘stuck’ is the catch phrase of the week, and just like that I realize it isn’t just me and I am most certainly not alone.
I have spoken with countless clients and friends and acquaintances who recently described themselves as stuck, others have said they feel unsure or confused, and one particularly brave client described herself as paralyzed. I tell myself what I told all of them, you must be willing to act in order to succeed.
You must be willing to act in order to succeed.
To be stuck is to be unable (or unwilling) to change positions or situations, to remain exactly where you are. I spent years stuck on a career path that was no longer a good fit, tethered to a life that I longed to put behind me, convinced that the changes I desperately wanted to make were unavailable to me. I remind myself that being (or feeling) stuck is part of the process, but remaining stuck is no longer an option for me personally.
And suddenly I remember that unsticking myself (and others) is what I do. I realize quite quickly that all the energy and thought I am putting toward my own stuck-ness is actually attracting more of the same. I name the thing I have been feeling. I make up my mind to put it behind me. And just like that, I feel the words start to flow. I feel something shift inside of me.
I am now ready to take action because I know that taking action is essential for transforming dreams into reality, ideas into accomplishment, and goals into growth. For every action I take, I receive an outcome. For better or for worse, real time and real life feedback becomes available to me and I then have the opportunity to decide on the next right action. Each action stacks atop the other and all of a sudden I feel far less stuck.
Action (noun): a thing that is done, and not merely thought or spoken about.
If you are feeling stuck, movement is most likely what you need. Chances are it is your own inaction or refusal to move that is making you feel stuck or confused or unsure. You must be willing to act in order to succeed - no more thinking, no more wondering, no more pondering, and way less second guessing. If you are looking to gain clarity or forward momentum, you must move. Stop thinking, start doing.
What action do you want (or need) to take? What small step can you make today?
P.S. My final word count ended up at 673 words today, far less than my 1000 word goal but more than enough to count as action.
There are still a handful of free 30 minute coaching calls available this month. If you are currently feeling stuck or think you could benefit from brainstorming and troubleshooting your own career transitions, work pauses, and identity shifts, book a free call below.
The Latest Self/ish Posts:
#79 Disconnect: Putting down the lives of others allows me to appreciate my own.
#78: Discomfort: staying the same is more painful than what it took to change.
#77 Identity: Every act of creation is first an act of destruction.
#76 Success: The key to success is self-understanding.
#75 Words: Words are how I breathe.
#74 Connection: All the things that make us feel alone connect us.
#73 Vulnerable: Staying vulnerable is a risk we have to take.
#72 Comparison: What if comparison is trying to deliver you back to yourself.
#71 Stay: Why staying home didn’t work for me.
#70 Mirrors: Objects in mirror are closer than they appear.
Full archive here.