Do you feel stuck? So many of us do! It’s really easy to get bogged down with our day-to-day routine that quickly turns into months, years, and decades of rinse & repeat of the same life. This repetition can either be extremely centering & enable us to live a beautiful life with tons of calming rhythm, or, be literally sucking the soul out of us if it’s not in line with our true selves and passions. If you identify more with the soul-sucking experience; don’t worry! Here are 8+ small steps you can start today that have a BIG impact on being your journey toward freedom.
1. Find & practice your ‘no’. I don’t know about you, but my day is riddled with decisions. Learning your boundaries and how to say ‘no’ is absolutely essential to your happiness and getting yourself unstuck. Start in small, practical ways. Look at your calendar for the week ahead. What’s one low-impact event you can politely bow out of? Start with easy and move toward high impact! The sooner you can get comfortable saying ‘no’, the sooner your life will start coming together. Finding others don’t like when you say ‘no’? Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend have you covered in their book, Boundaries.
2. Do a screen time audit. Use your phone’s well-being tracker, or just do an old-fashioned pen & paper log of your time. I guarantee, you’re wasting hours on there! Seriously, it’s not worth it. Find ways to put the phone away and down. Start living in the real world again! Also, all the frenetic marketing & journalism of the internet is affecting your mental health and further getting you stuck. Break free, my friend!
3. Process your traumas and past wounds. We all have them. Each of us who have walked through this life has experienced traumas and wounds from experiences and relationships. The best way to start uncovering the path forward is to correctly process your body’s experience of the past. Do yourself a favor; make an appointment for counseling today! You will be SUCH a happier person on the other end. Just bring up where you’re getting stuck & struggling if you haven’t 100% identified the ‘why’ behind those struggles. Your story and how you process it really does matter for your ability to keep expanding outward.
4. Identify your passions. How can you possibly find a path forward if you have no interest in it? When you find what you are passionate about, the motivation to get there comes. I see this all the time on the tennis court. The difference between those who are just there because they have to exercise or keep up appearances vs. those who have passion is INSANE! Those who are passionate crush it. If you are not passionate, you are dead in the water. Find your passion! It’s totally normal and good that your passions are different from others around you. That is your niche! That is what makes what you’re offering in the world extra valuable. People also really admire someone who has a lot of passion for their work and activities, even if they’re completely different from their own. It’s so inspiring.
5. Do a time & money inventory. Sounds boring, but completely useful. A little data never hurt anyone! Keep track of how you spend your money and time for a day, week, or even month. You are on the edge of learning so much about where and how you’re spending your time and money. In this life, we are limited by time and money. Make sure that you’re spending both of these in ways that align with you and your path forward.
6. Embrace some silence. Our brains are desperate for a little break. Take some time to embrace some silence, whether through prayer, meditation, thoughtful reading, etc. Nature is an evidence-based tool that can help give your brain the break it needs to process and think creatively about your problems and future. Even 15 minutes a day is a game changer. Do it.
7. Simplify. Whether it’s your workspace, your kitchen, your car, or your social calendar. SIMPLIFY. I guarantee if you feel stuck, at least one or ALL of these areas of your life are out of control. As we process our things and activities, we learn about ourselves. As we free up physical and temporal space, our brain and bodies know they have the space to tackle the bigger problems. Your environment matters.
8. Get input from those close to you. Ask those around you: ‘Where do you see me getting stuck or hung up?’ I absolutely guarantee, they are going to be rock stars at identifying where you’re getting stuck. This is so hard to see on ourselves but pointing out the troubles in others’ lives; piece of cake. Make sure you ask those who you know can be kind but honest with you. Feedback can be humbling, but once you process it, it is like the secret sauce to your life recipe.
9. Set one small goal for this month and crush it. The best way to make change is in very small steps. Set a small goal for this month, one that is almost too easy, and hit it out of the ballpark! For example: I will swap 15 minutes of scrolling on the phone for 15 minutes of quiet time before work. OR, I will declutter 1 cabinet or drawer out of my kitchen each week. As you experience success, you gain confidence. This in turn fuels your ability to accomplish your next goal. Micro changes build habits that become our future routines and lives!
My friend, you are not alone in feeling stuck. My hope for you today is that you can begin some tiny steps forward out of the trenches and into the light. Step out of this chaos! You were made for so much more. Welcome onto the journey; your future is so bright.
