How To Get Un-Stuck
Not enough business coming in?
Deeply confused about career or life direction?
Can’t find that great job?
Being stuck stinks!
Here is how to get un-stuck:
1. Admit that you are stuck.
Our culture is big on being positive but if you are really stuck then simply trying to put a positive spin on it feels like you are lying to yourself. It is important for you to find a healthy way to unburden yourself so that you can move on to number two below. It doesn’t have to be a big dramatic announcement. You can calmly admit to yourself, your journal or your boss that you are stuck.
2. Tell that story of how you got stuck for the last time.
If you have done everything you can think of to get un-stuck and you keep bumping up against the same obstacle, then you probably have a pretty good story about it. As valid and true and epic as that story may be, it’s probably a big factor in your current state of being stuck. If your story is a layoff, a misstep or an injustice, tell a coach, trusted advisor or mentor. If your story is of abuse, loss or abandonment, then tell a licensed therapist or doctor. But tell it for the last time. The idea here is to find a way to honor what happened with a solid commitment to moving forward-and then not talk about it anymore.
3. Change the questions you ask yourself.
Are the questions you ask yourself about this situation positive and encouraging, like “How can I get better at that?” or “What angle am I missing here?” Or are they questions that contribute to keeping you stuck, such as “Why do I always do that?” or “What’s wrong with me?” Most people need to ask themselves different questions entirely. Try questions like, “Who else knows a lot about this issue and can help me?” or “What do I really want?” or “How can I flip this whole thing and approach it from a fresh perspective?”
So which step above do you think will be the most difficult to apply? The answer is almost always number two above. Everyone loves a story, and you’ll continue to encounter friends and acquaintances who haven’t heard it yet. Plus, there is a lot of secondary gain from telling the story of what happened to you or explaining why your decision was completely justified. But remember, your whole future is waiting for you beyond that story, so find a way to tell it for the last time.
Coaching Assignment:
For the next two days, tune in and notice the questions you ask yourself.
“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength.”
-Corrie Ten Boom
B’s Best Resources
Book recommendation for business owners:
Making Money is Killing Your Business by Chuck Blakeman.
Making Money is Killing Your Business debunks the idea that small business is a 30-year grind, and introduces the concept of building a business in just three to five years that runs itself. Making Money also replaces the traditional concept of retirement with using your business to quickly build your Ideal Lifestyle, moving you and your business from survival through success to significance now, not 30 years from now. Your business should throw off both time and money, not just money. This book helps business owners make more money in less time, get back to the passion that brought them into business in the first place, and build a business they can enjoy for decades.
