Why You Feel Stuck - And 3 Steps to Snap Out of It

You know that opportunity that passed you by? The career you let go because you never felt “good enough”, the love you never dared to pursue, the dream that keeps you ever awake and ever yearning? We all have these kinds of things. Small or large, we all have them — and they take up so much space. They fuel regret and resentment and they make you feel nothing but stuck in a life you don’t know the meaning. Or even worse — you know the meaning, but it seems unattainable.

My thing is the dream. I have been stuck in a dream for so long, never daring to break out of it, to leap. Or rather, I had. I’m leaping now, and baby I’m taking flight — and I want you to do the same.

The first thing you need to realize is that you are, in fact, stuck, and also that you have all the power in the world to do something about it. No, you can’t always control your circumstances, but you can always choose how you are with them.

Now, why are you stuck? Generally it’s because of fear, but the reason for this fear may not be the same for everyone. I realized a couple of years ago that the fear that kept me stuck was not only the fear of failing, of falling, but also of succeeding, of flying. When I succeed, if I fall, I fall so much farther, and that scared me. Still does. And I have a lot of other choices, so I don’t have to expose myself to that discomfort.

The second thing you need to realize is that it’s all about perspective. I know you’ve heard that before, but have you taken it to heart? Take the situation I explained earlier. Let’s turn that one around. If I fall farther when I’m on the top, that means it’s more comfortable to fall now. Less attention, more room for learning. So I decided to go for it. Let me fail and fall now when I’m still at the beginning, and let me get really good at it. That way I learn to build myself back up and, more importantly, I learn to enjoy the process – which takes me to my final point.

You’ve heard it so much that the word has probably lost it’s meaning, but you hear it because it’s true. The third thing you need to get into your head is that it’s all about MINDSET. The way you approach the situation is so important when deciding the outcome. Mindset, which ties to perspective a lot is still, the way I see it, about much more than just perspective. It’s about tricking yourself to self-confidence, it’s about enjoying the process so much you even enjoy failing (that’s the trick to not losing momentum and motivation). Failure is part of the process and the sooner we all realize that, the sooner we’re on the path to success. Mindset is also about visualizing the outcome of any given situation. Give your brain the chance to know what’s going to happen before it happens, and the chance of it happening will increase.

Now, remember: the path to success is exactly that – a path. It’s not a highway. It’s a slow, winding road. You’ll step through mud, but you’ll also see amazing sights and breathe fresh air. It’s a journey, and the journey, mud and all, will be so worth it when you get to where your path is taking you. So learn to enjoy it. And also (and this one is important) do not dismiss fear or try to ignore it. Fear will follow you around no matter what you do, so acknowledge it. Invite it to walk beside you, and make friends with it. When you’re on the path to success with fear as a companion, that’s powerful.

You got this. I can see the spark in your eyes as you read this. Look in the mirror and see for yourself. Now go get that dream, that job, that love.

And hey, enjoy it. Enjoy the pitfalls and the stunning views. It’s all a part of life. Enjoy every minute of it.