getting unstuck

a common issue for modern day humans is the experience of being stuck.

in other words, being without motivation. 

this lack of motivation can come in several different flavors: inaction with an dash of sadness, frustration, guilt, shame, disappointment, or maybe some anxiety? 

the problem

most of us can identify being “stuck” pretty easily. it sucks. 

the problem is we are unaware of the “suck” underneath the “stuck”.

we (subconsciously) stay in our heads about our stuckness and try to deny the suck.

DENIAL IS WHAT KEEPS US STUCK!   

denial operates at the level of story

the key is to dive deeper into the feelings underneath the stories we are telling ourselves. 

emotions are genius

your emotions are basic building blocks of perception.

they tell you what is needed and drive your behavior to get it.

your emotions are where your motivation lies.

i like to say, “emotions are to the ‘heart’ what physical sensations are to the body”. 

let me explain. 

if you’re sitting in an awkward position and your leg isn’t getting enough blood flow, it starts to tingle and go numb. 

your leg “falling asleep” is your body’s signal that something is out of balance. 

it’s your body saying, “hey! we need blood flow! we need to shift!” 

so you listen, you reposition your body, and blood flows back into your leg and your system resumes homeostasis, or balance. 

the same balance/imbalance experience is happening in your emotional system.

if you’re feeling the sadness, disappointment, guilt or the anxiety of being stuck, that’s your heart saying, “yo! something is off balance. we need to make a shift! 

you need to listen to that.

THE SOLUTION TO GETTING UNSTUCK IS ACTION

the way to rebalance your heart (i.e. motivation) is thorough movement –  just like you rebalance your body. 

for your numb leg, you’re going to shift your body. 

for your guilty heart, you’re going to shift our body.

you guessed it: for a negative headspace, you’re going to shift your body.

getting unstuck

here are three simple steps to break free:

1. honesty: get underneath your thoughts and dive deeper into those stuck feelings. be honest about what you are feeling. you don’t need to get into a wrestling match with your thoughts – it’s a form of denial. feelings are just feelings. nothing more.

2. review a list of activities: beat excuses with your ready-made list of uplifting activities. pro tip: keep this list somewhere “outside of your head” (e.g. fridge, on your phone). examples include taking a walk, baking bread, watching stand up comedy, calling a friend, take a shower, meditating. 

3. action: your body holds the key to motivation.  any movement (no matter how small!) will create a shift in stuckness. take some action, then watch your motivation follow suit. 

oh, one more step: celebrate being unstuck! 

until next time,

donald