E-couragement: Stuck
I sat down with my client, an accomplished business person. After courageously leaving the security of her corporate world, she created a meaningful and successful small business. Our agenda for this coaching session was to review numbers she had put together. Before digging in, I asked, “How are you doing? Lately, it appears you might be feeling down and distracted.” After a slight pause, she responded, “I was wondering how noticeable it had been.” She continued, describing her journey over the last several years with words like, fear, hopeless, and discouraged. She said these feelings were a result of her being stuck in a particular aspect of her life—and remaining stuck was taking its toll.
In 2005 I was financially stuck. I had hit an “earnings ceiling” for several years and seemed incapable of breaking through. Over time, with the help of my professional coach, I was able to make several changes within myself. The result was an entirely new level of business growth and revenue production. Although there is no single formula for becoming unstuck, here are a few principles that worked for me:
- Your circumstance is not against you. I found it simple to make my circumstance an enemy. I blamed the economy, my competition, and even my clients for keeping me in a financial sinkhole. I had to stop using blame and excuses as a way to justify my predicament.
- Your circumstance is on your side. This was particularly tough for me to grasp. For many years I believed my circumstance was the reason I was stuck. This required a complete reversal in thinking. My financial circumstance was the exact teacher I needed to grow and change into the person who could create a breakthrough.
- You got yourself stuck—you can get yourself unstuck. Initially, this sounds harsh. It’s actually empowering. In order for me to become unstuck, I had to change what got me stuck in the first place. Me. A change in personal thinking, belief, and action set me free.
- You’ll need support. Change is difficult and scary. Some people preferred that I remain the same—they were more comfortable with the Rich who was stuck. I had to move away from those relationships. Although my ability to overcome was inside of me, I still needed the support and belief of those who wanted to see me fully evolve.
Most everyone has experienced being stuck. Perhaps you’ve been stuck on a financial plateau, in a bad relationship, in a career that didn’t fit, or with a lack of health and well-being. It’s easy to over-complicate the concept of being stuck. Our life is full of habits - some serving us well, some not. Being stuck is simply a habit we’ve formed that keeps us in a place we rather not be. Becoming unstuck requires that we first recognize, and then undo, those habits and patterns which trap us. You’re designed to be free—today is a good day to start living that way.
Leave your comments: What other effective ways have you found to help get unstuck?