Stuck. Trapped. Lost. Miserable. We have all felt this way at some point. Some of us may make it to the “other side” and then find ourselves right back where we began … or worse. It can actually be a beautiful, transformational process if we have the tools to guide us through. I recently read and article in Success Magazine that 1/3 of Americans feel stuck. People find that they are not living to their potential, acting on their dream, having the relationships they want, fulfilled by work….they’re in a RUT. Although I find the statistic disheartening, I can relate.

I’ve been there more than a few times in my life. One of the most significant times for me was just prior to leaving Corporate America and starting my business. I was anxious and felt like “there just has to be more that I should be doing.” It took a lot of introspection, reflection, work and being in the fetal position on my couch, but I finally broke through.

You may be thinking, “Ok, that’s nice but how do I get clear?” Good question! I’ve outlined a few steps below to help simplify the process. It’s important to recognize that although they are simple, they are not easy. Otherwise 1/3 of us wouldn’t feel stuck, would we?

1. Accept that you are stuck. The first step in any processes is acknowledging that you want or need to make a change in your current circumstance or situation.

2. Get Clear about what it is that you want. At first that seems easy, doesn’t it? It’s not. It can be a very difficult and daunting task to decide what it is you want, long for, dream of or desire. In fact, this step can appear so hard that most people stop at this step and continue to live less than fulfilling lives. Not fun.

3. Take Action. Any action. This is a vital step, and again, one of the hardest. If you persevere through Step One and Two then it’s likely that you’ve already experienced some sort of resistance (or perhaps you’ve already decided, “this is ridiculous” and you’ve given up). Your ego has one primary mission and that is to keep the status quo, the status quo. So, anything that remotely seems like change, or stepping out of your comfort zone is an enemy to be attacked. Your mind will procrastinate, justify, find excuses, come up with conditions and create a number of brilliant tactics to keep you exactly where you are; stuck. It’s really important to understand this, but even more important to take action no matter how inconsequential you feel that action is.

4. Have a Practice. Our nervous system cannot tell the difference between something that we are making up or are remembering as an actual experience. Employ practices such as conscious breathing, visualization, affirmations, dream boards etc. to reinforce your efforts and accelerate having what it is you want.

Understanding these steps will help to incorporating desire, discipline and personal accountability to begin to take consistent actions toward your desires.

Go after what you desire. Your whole world and everyone in it is waiting!

Deseri Garcia

Most leaders struggle with disengagement, dysfunction, and non-productive behaviors with their teams. We deliver training that develops leaders and engages teams to increase your company results.