We sometimes feel stuck in life because something big happened and derailed everything we had been working on, or because of the feeling that even if we had all the energy and willpower in life, we wouldn’t know what to do next, where to go from here. And even though it can be frustrating, it’s actually something that we can change – we can get unstuck in life and get that clarity and motivation back to keep the momentum in life going.
3 Things you can do to get unstuck in life
Feeling lost or like we are falling back in one area of life can start affecting our motivation and satisfaction from the others. And, getting unstuck begins with realizing that there’s always something, direct or indirect, that we can do to get our momentum back in life.
1. Set reference points
The first one is to create reference points. Think of it like, you are traveling but can’t see out of the window, like traveling at night with nothing to see outside. Would you know how fast or slow you were moving?
So, to help us know for sure if we are really stuck in a rut or is it just the weariness of routine that’s making it feel like nothing’s happening and we aren’t getting anywhere, we need to set clear, quantifiable goals or milestones. They will act as reference points to measure our progress and also set the direction for our efforts.
If, it's monotony making us feel stuck in life -
Being able to measure progress will help us, as research shows, feel happier, more satisfied with life… improve our subjective well-being. And this feeling in turn motivates us to keep working towards our goals….kind of creates an effective cycle.
If, we are really not making any progress -
Then the goals and the plan we reverse-engineered to reach there from where we are right now, will help find what needs to change, or be added, upgraded, tweaked to start moving in the right direction.
2. When feeling lost or unsure
To get unstuck in life, it’s important to know what we want from life… but not everybody has that figured out. To get a good starting point, find some role models, people whose life or achievements you admire or wished YOU did that. And also, someone doing something similar you feel you definitely don’t want to be like.
Now, the point here is, we are not trying to be like someone or emulate anyone’s life… we are just getting an idea of what it takes to be at the position or lead the kind of life that we like.
It simply sets the ball rolling, gives us something to work with, a starting point to brainstorm what goals and milestones we can set for ourselves. And the negative role model would give us a checklist of things to avoid, knowing they would take us in the direction we don’t want to go.
After setting a goal and a few milestones, reverse-engineer the plan to today
For the 3rd technique that you can use to get unstuck in life when the motivation to begin again doesn’t seem to last long, watch the video up top.
