Stuck in Life? Take a look at the following five strategies for making progress in your personal growth, career, relationships, and much more.
Stuck in Life?
If you are stuck in life, you are wasting your precious time, energy, and resources. Moreover, you are doing so without realizing it. Since this is not bringing you the desired results (or any results for that matter), it is time to stop.
Imagine yourself going hiking in a beautiful forest. On one side of the forest is the entrance; on the other is a small lake with crystal waters and big rocks where you can sit, relax and recharge.
You set your mind to reaching the tranquil space and spend as much time as possible soaking in the energy and love that nature offers.
You read the map. It says that is takes about 2 hours to get there. You are so excited and ready to start the journey.
Excited and perhaps a bit impatient. Instead of following the winding path that guides you around the majestic trees, blooming bushes, and wildflowers, you decide to take the shortcut.
With faster steps, you start moving in the direction of the lake, confident that this is the way and sure of your success. One hour passes quickly, then a second, then a third. The lake is nowhere to be seen.
The faster you walk, the more you realize that you are not going anywhere but rather walking in a circle. You are stuck! Stuck in life.
5 Strategies for Making Progress When You are Stuck in Life
(1) Stop whatever you are doing for a moment
Stop! Merely stop walking, put down your backpack, and take a break.
It seems obvious, but very often, this is the hardest thing to do. When you want to achieve your goals faster, you push yourself more. Somehow, you start to believe that if you stop, the final destination will move away from you and will become unreachable.
But this is not true. The lake doesn’t have legs to run away. Just like your life goals, it waits patiently for you to go back to the path and almost effortlessly reach it.
And, if you find yourself stuck in life, first stop moving in circles, and next, take a look at where you are. Find yourself again, and check where your final destination is. Go back to the well-established path, and start making progress.
“Wait, but what if I don’t want to follow the formal path? What if I want to discover the lake on my own and learn from my journey?”
If this is the case, then you wouldn’t feel stuck in life. You would feel inspired and motivated to keep going.
“Are You Moving Forward Easily in Your Life”
Read more about the 5 signs that you are stuck.
(2) Go one (or more) steps back
If you just discovered that you are stuck in life and did the right thing by stopping mindlessly going in circles, then it is time to go back to the last familiar place.
Turn around and follow your steps back to the beginning of your journey into the forest. Look for familiar scenes or memorable trees with low branches. Remember where you had to jump over the large log that lays down and takes a hundred-year nap. Here is the small patch of forget-me-nots that you almost missed while rushing in the morning. Recognize all the little signs that lead you to the beginning.
Don’t be afraid of going back. Don’t be afraid of starting all over again. Learn from the decisions you make. Observe and understand your behaviour and your beliefs. Realize that you grow through journeying toward your “lake.”
Every time you go one step back or start all over again, you learn something new about yourself. You get to know who you no longer want to be and get one step closer to defining who you want to be.
It’s better to move two steps forward and one step back than be stuck in life.
(3) Reflect on whoM you haven’t forgiven yet
Do you feel stuck in life because the luggage you carry with you is too heavy?
The backpack you take on your hiking adventure in the forest represents your past, including hurts, regrets, blame, and feelings of being a victim. The heavier this backpack is, the more unforgiven experiences you bring with you.
Do you really need those? Do they really help you and make your life so much better, colourful and light? If so, then you wouldn’t feel their burden.
If you feel them weighing you down, however, it is a clear sign that you need to get rid of them. Only by freeing yourself from the past, you can have the power and energy to move toward the desired destination.
As hard as it might seem right now, open the backpack and examine its content. Look at the “bricks” of your past. Forgive yourself and others for putting them in the bag, and forgive yourself for taking them with you. Take as much time as you need to complete this. Remember, the “lake” is waiting for you patiently and compassionately.
(4) ask your inner guide or the universe for help
Getting rid of something familiar could feel overwhelming at times. Once you empty your backpack, you may feel different. And sometimes different and unfamiliar feels more like being lost. This is the illusion of being stuck in life because you have changed.
If this is the case, open the map you have. This is the guidance from the Universe and your inner being that is always available to you. Open it, look for the right direction, and follow it with confidence.
It is okay to ask for help. This doesn’t make you weaker. In fact, it makes you braver. Recognizing a weakness and asking for guidance about how to overcome it, how to improve and grow is what will help you move forward on the path toward your goal.
The symbolic map, all signs, and tools are there to help you. Don’t waste time and energy on the small insignificant stuff. Rather, concentrate on what is really important for you and let the Universe handle the hurdles.
(5) Declare your willingness to make progress
Now that you found yourself and your path again and that you feel lighthearted, thank yourself, your Inner Guide and the Universe for helping you every time when you are stuck in life.
Put your beautiful smile on (oh yes, I know you have an amazingly beautiful smile, no need to keep it a secret anymore) and declare out loud that you are willing to make progress toward your goal.
Let the trees hear you so they can point their branches in the right direction. Allow the bushes to hear you so they can block any attempt you might make to step aside or go back. See the flowers showing off their bright colours so you know you are doing the right thing.
And remember, you are a unique person with a unique speed and a unique journey. Be yourself and take your time to reach your own lake. Make your progress in your own terms.
“You can do it! I can do it! We can all do it!” Louise Hay
