Three Steps to Get Unstuck

Do you often find that as much as you desire to work toward your goals, you often feel overwhelmed and just can’t make progress? Here are three steps to help you get unstuck. 

  1. BE HERE NOW– When you want to get something done, you can get overwhelmed when you allow your mind to take you out of the present moment. You tend to beat yourself up over how much further ahead you would be “if only” you had done more yesterday, and you worry about all the other things going on in your life.   You also can get an anxiety attack when you look too far forward, and see how much there is to do. When you are stressed, the flight or fight instinct takes over, and you want to run away. “Be here now,” helps you to avoid the feeling that you want to escape.  Just focus on the present moment and the present task. For example, you want to organize your kitchen.  There are papers and other items on the table, under the table, and on the counters. Just pick one area.  You choose to work on the table. Keep your focus on the table, because if you don’t you will start moving things around all over the kitchen, which is what one of my clients calls “churning.” You move things around, and get nowhere. When you cannot complete it in one session, always return to what is currently your “single minded focus” until that task is completed. 
  2. WHAT’S STOPPING ME?– There are a lot of things that could be stopping you from starting or completing a project.  Do you have all of the information you need to get started? If not, then make sure you get all of the information. Are you the one for the job? Maybe you should delegate it. Are you seeking perfectionism? Done is better than perfect. When you stop and ask yourself “What’s stopping me,” you will discover there is something in the way that needs to be solved before you will be able to move forward. 
  3. WHAT’S THE NEXT ACTION STEP?– The next step is often much smaller than what you are thinking about, and until you get that small step out of the way, you remain stuck.  You may put something like “Car” on your to do list, yet it stays there for days. You know that means you have to get your car inspected.  Write the next physical action you need to take on your to do list. The next action is to find the phone number of the place you get your car inspected.  The action after that is to make the call and schedule the appointment.  You will get unstuck when you think in terms of “next action steps.” 

When you find you have a desire to accomplish something, and can’t seem to move forward, return to these three steps, and you will soon be moving toward your goal. 



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