Have you ever felt stuck mentally, emotionally, even spiritually?

If we are self-aware and honest, we can identify with that the feeling. Oftentimes when we feel stuck, it’s difficult to put into words. We feel that something is not quite right, but it’s difficult to identify. Sometimes, feeling stuck comes in the form of writer’s block, or feeling like you have no new ideas or solutions, or feeling a sense of mild frustration – where you have a goal, but feel unable to meet it. Or perhaps you have slowed down, lost momentum, and feel the inability to make progress. It may be the feeling that you are in a rut, and that you know you need to change but feel unable to do so. Feeling stuck also feels like you have gone as far as you can go, and you don’t feel you can go any further.

One thing that should hopefully provide some comfort is knowing that this is a normal part of the creative/development process.

So how do we get out of feeling stuck? First, we need to acknowledge that feeling stuck is a “feeling”. Feelings come and go, but we need to appreciate the feeling anyway, because it signals that it may be time to stop, think, and evaluate where we are. It may be that feeling stuck is a signal for us to look at the problem from another angle, or that there may be something wrong with our current solution. So feeling stuck is something we should appreciate rather than frustrate over. And we should know that “feeling” stuck and “being” stuck are two entirely different issues, but in both cases the solutions are similar.

So how do we restart the engine of creativity and development once it has seized? Here are some thoughts:

1. Walk away from it and come back to it later – You’re not doing yourself any good by staring at the screen or a blank sheet of paper. You may even need to sleep on it.
2. Identify what it is you feel stuck about or why you feel stuck – Acknowledge and appreciate it. It’s ok.
3. Try micro-sessions – Try some timed (e.g. 2, 5, 10, 20, 50-minute) startups, work for a certain amount of time, and then stop. Try it again a little bit later. The good in this is that you are pushing momentum little by little. You never know if one of these micro sessions will spark the creativity you need to move forward.
4. Change your environment – Set up a creative, motivating atmosphere, with new visuals, different lighting, candles, or even music. You can try a different working space altogether.
5. Try putting leverage on yourself – think of 5-10 good outcomes that will come from you completing this.
6. Reward yourself – Set yourself a motivating deadline (e.g. if I get this done, I can go for coffee, go for a walk, or leave early)
7. Talk it through with someone – bounce an idea (e.g. hey do you think this might work?)
8. Pray – ask for insight and guidance, you’ll be surprised how often you get answers
9. Respect your Muse – Sometimes our Muse gives us a flash of insight when we’re not expecting it, and we have what we need to act. Capitalize on that moment and act on the inspiration right away if you can, otherwise use a notetaker or voice recorder to capture the thought immediately so it doesn’t get lost. Return to your work and incorporate your new idea at a time that works for you.
10. Break it up – Sometimes we get stuck not because we don’t know what to do, but because we are overwhelmed by the task. Break the task into smaller component pieces and put a very doable schedule in place to get it done.
11. Brute-force it – Sometimes as a last resort, because there may a deadline looming, you just have to suck it up, do it, deny yourself, blast through the laziness, procrastination, and the pain of the moment with sheer will power.

Ultimately, your goal is to move the needle to create a hint of momentum around the task or project. Momentum will take care of the rest. Then you should have no problem finishing.

Question: What do you do when you feel stuck? You can leave a comment by clicking here.