This post all about how to stop feeling stuck is perfect for anyone who is lacking motivation, not sure where to go, or feeling like they want to give up! Seven tips to help you get un-stuck, get back on track, and find fulfillment in your personal life, relationships, and work!
A few months ago, I was stuck. Not like having-a-hard-time-finishing-a-blog post stuck, but like what-am-I-even-doing-and-how-am-I-going-to-keep-doing-this stuck. It was rough.
I felt stuck, and I was having a hard time figuring out how to stop feeling stuck and get things back on track. I felt lost and like I didn’t know where I wanted to go with my blog, like there was just not enough time in the day to get everything done that I wanted, and like I was losing my motivation and desire to keep this space going. The little behind-the-scenes things that I have to do to keep my site running and get my posts out there were draining me and making it hard to keep going.
I’m assuming if you’re reading this, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Everybody has times in their lives when they feel stuck. It might be in your job, in your relationships, in your responsibilities, or in achieving your goals. Sometimes giving up and walking away seems like less work than continuing to figure it out and solve the problem.
You may have guessed that since I’m still here writing I figured it out and got un-stuck. There were a few things that completely turned it around for me, and today, I want to share them with you. I want to tell you how to stop feeling stuck, get your motivation back, and find fulfillment in your life!
And if you’re thinking that I’m only talking about blogging, I’m not. You can apply these tips to stop feeling stuck in whatever it is you’re stuck in, and I’m positive they’ll help!
Here we go!
How to Stop Feeling Stuck
1. Give yourself a break.
Take a step back, whether that’s for a day or for a week or two. It’s okay to need a break, and depending on what it is you’re stuck in, you can give yourself a long one or a short one. Obviously if you’re feeling stuck in something like motherhood you can’t really take a week off, but you can ask your husband to take over for a night while you go to dinner and a movie by yourself. There’s always a way to give yourself a break.
I love writing and creating content to help other mamas enjoy their lives, but I also needed to remember that my priority is to my family and my health, and when those things suffer, I need to step back and give myself a break!
2. Remember your why.
This is a biggie. No matter what it is you’re stuck in, there’s a reason you got started in it in the first place. Sometimes our “why” gets swallowed up in all the menial tasks we have to do, and we forget what really led us to that thing in the first place.
One afternoon I sat down with a pen and a piece of paper and wrote down my why, where I want to go (basically what I want to accomplish in the future), why I couldn’t stop, and what was holding me back. Sure, I knew all these things in my mind, but it was a total game-changer to see them written down on paper (especially the “what’s holding me back?” answers).
3. Make a plan.
Your plan might be one or two steps or it might be ten. You can start from the beginning or you can start from the end and work your way back. Sometimes even just having a few simple things you know you can do is enough to get you un-stuck. Look at your answers to “what’s holding me back?” and “where do I want to go?” and use the solutions to make a plan.
Doing all of this was kind of my plan, and it helped a lot. I also decided to cut back in a few places and give myself some slack (which is why I’m only posting once a week and doing one Honest Birth post per month now). I realized that I needed more time so I needed to be more intentional with my time. I also felt burned out so I decided to take breaks and try and remember that I don’t have to squeeze work into every bit of free time I have.
It’s okay if you aren’t sure if your plan will work or if it seems more like a starting point than an actual plan. You have to start somewhere, and the rest of the steps will help you figure it out!
4. See how it works for a week or two.
Test it out! You may have struck gold or it may need a little bit of tweaking. You’re not going to know until you try your plan out. Follow your plan for a few weeks and see what happens!
5. Adjust your plan.
If your plan is going pretty well but it could be better, adjust it! Maybe you need to find more time or get some help. Find a way to do so. Maybe your plan is crap and hasn’t helped at all (I hope not!). Trash it and make a new plan. Not every plan will be great on the first try, but that’s okay! You have to be proactive about getting un-stuck because it’s not just going to happen on its own.
I recognized that my plan was going great. I was less stressed, felt like I had more time for my family (which was a big part of me being stuck), and I was enjoying blogging more. I actually haven’t made any adjustments yet, but I may soon with summer vacation right around the corner!
6. Get help.
It could be hiring an employee, asking a friend to watch the kids for one morning a week, inviting your husband or kids to pick up a few chores, or just finding someone to vent to. We’re not meant to do everything alone, and the bigger the aspiration, the bigger the team you’ll need. Getting help will look different for everyone, so figure out what it means to you and jump on it!
7. Re-evaluate.
Just because your plan is working for the first month or two, doesn’t mean it will continue to work down the line. Every so often re-evaluate how things are going. Like I said, I’m probably going to have to re-evaluate my plan once school is out and my kids are home during quiet time, and that’s okay. Different seasons in life call for different plans.
You can do it!
Things can seem pretty bleak when you’re stuck. And figuring out how to stop feeling stuck is hard on your own. Hopefully these seven tips can help you get back on track and help remind you why you started the thing you’re stuck in in the first place. They worked for me and I really hope the work for you, too!
There’s a time and a season for all things. You don’t have to run faster than you have strength, and you don’t have to chase every single one of your goals right now. Nobody can do it all, and no matter how put together we all seem, we’re all constantly figuring out how to make things work. And that’s fine.
You’re amazing and you can do it and you’ve got this, mama!
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