“Getting stuck is not a problem. Staying stuck is”– Alistair Smith
There is nothing more daunting than staring at a blank computer screen or blank page to write the best-selling Pulitzer Prize book with blank pages. However, business executives, like everyone else, experience from time to time getting stuck on ideas to help you complete a task, grow your business, and experience stress, frustration, and overwhelming.
“Life’s challenges aren’t supposed to paralyze you, they’re supposed to help you discover who you are.” -Bernice Johnson Reagon
If you knew where it came from, you could avoid it, but it can appear suddenly and you don’t know why, at least at first. Some say that the experience of being stuck is the perception of limited options. Nobody likes to feel trapped. To detach yourself, you must take a step back and look at what happened before, during, and after you got to where you are now.
“Right now I’m stuck somewhere between what if, what could, what could be and what never will, and all I want to know is what it really is.” – Christina Hart
Being stuck in a rut doing the same daily routines and not getting out of it can prevent you from accepting opportunities because you don’t know which way to go. Focusing on your stress, frustration, and overwhelming feelings can paralyze you. The problem isn’t just being stuck, it’s the fact of how you manage to keep yourself in a stuck position.
“If you are faced with a new challenge or are asked to do something you have never done before, don’t be afraid to step up. You have more capacity than you think, but you will never see it unless you demand it yourself. for more “. -Joyce Meyer
Being stuck has a component of fear
Being stuck has the same experience as fear. This is a stress, frustration and overwhelming response that you have that is perceived as threatening or damaging to you. As a result, you feel anxious and nervous about not thinking about the things that matter most to you.
Normally, when people are stuck, you don’t realize that fear plays a big role. You must understand how fear allows you to get stuck without realizing it. When you fight fear it is because of a decision you made or are about to make or because you do not like to be criticized or judged for something you said or did. Most people don’t like the latter at all.
The fear of not getting things done on time is still there. You may worry about not being able to get things done on time. While fear is completely normal, it prevents you from creating or producing something new. Solving this problem will help you cope better. Sometimes doing something outside of your comfort zone is scary. When you do it a couple of times you get used to it being part of your routine.
What got you here won’t get you there
“Fear is often our immediate response to uncertainty. There is nothing wrong with experiencing fear. The key is not to get stuck in it.” -Gabrielle Bernstein
With most people using traditional ways of letting go, you still focus on your stressful, frustrated, and overwhelmed thoughts. By doing so, you keep yourself in a stuck position. This is being reactive. You panic and go into crisis mode. This does not help you move on.
Too many leaders hope to stay the course and continue doing business with a traditional approach. Expect to work the same way as before and get different results.
For many young executives, he was promoted for his skills, talent, and ability to solve problems. You thought it was cool to sit in a prominent place and delegate work to others. What you didn’t expect was that as an executive you also had projects to complete. This leads him to not work 9 to 5, but rather 50 hours or more each week. This can be too overwhelming for many, especially if you thought things would be very different.
“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results.” A new approach is probably all you need to get unstuck. (Albert Einstein)
With this comes self confidence
“Nothing builds self-esteem and self-confidence like achievement.”-Thomas Carlyle
The most important step in developing self-confidence is simply taking action. Take a few minutes and think about your stagnation. The way you peel off has a lot to do with your resilience to overcome your stuck situation with patience.
Be curious and think about the fact that when you are trapped in fear, you are close. Basically ask questions. Don’t let anything or anyone stop you from being curious about why you got stuck. You may even find out that you caused it or that it had nothing to do with you.
“The way to develop self-confidence is to do what you fear.” -William Jennings Bryan
Work on your self esteem as you need to develop your self confidence and believe in yourself more.
Change your perspective
“A challenge only becomes an obstacle when you bow down to it.” -Ray Davis
Adapt a new idea of the fear of the unknown that keeps you stuck. The more decisions and actions you take, the more you will believe in your ability to overcome your fears. Identify what actions you can take to move forward.
By changing your perspective, I mean don’t react to your stagnation and go into crisis or panic mode. This only keeps you more stressed, frustrated, and overwhelmed. Instead, think more proactively. As you do so, you need to step back and observe what happened. This allows you to start taking steps to avoid further feelings of stagnation and to stay creative. Then it will be much easier to get out of your stagnant feelings and move on. (This article does not specifically say how this experience goes beyond what is recounted here.)
Know when to multitask and when to get work done
“I like the challenge of trying different things and wondering if it will work or if I am going to fall flat on my face.” – Actor Johnny Depp
It is important to recognize when you are taking in more than you can handle. Too many people agree to work on more than one task at a time. You may think that you can be more productive working on multiple projects, but you need to know what you really can and cannot do. Time constraints also play an important role in deciding what and how much to take on. Comparing multitaskers to non-multitaskers, Stanford professor Clifford Nass concluded that multitaskers performed poorly on a variety of tasks, were easily distracted, and had difficulty concentrating.
Conclution: There are many different ways to detach. Use the ones that work for you. A great way to get unstuck and find innovative ideas is to ask questions about assumptions and beliefs, rephrase your business rules. Are they adapted to the current workplace? Shift your thinking away from traditional ways of doing business and take off towards unconventional activities. Remember, give yourself permission to fail and make mistakes. This is expected in the current way of doing business.
“You are not stuck where you are unless you decide to be.” – Wayne Dyer