Have you ever felt the urge to do something, and as you’re about to put it into action, you feel stuck?
In this post, I am going to share with you three practical ways to help you get moving again when you’re feeling stuck.
Let’s first look at what could be reasons why we often get stuck when it comes to acting on our passions.
The first reason to feel stuck is the lack of orientation
It is like getting into a car and going to an unknown destination.
No matter how good a driver you may be, you will get nowhere. That is because, without a map, it is near impossible, to get where you want to go.
You may have a map or a GPS, but if you have the wrong address, it becomes difficult to get to the right destination.
You will be stuck and frustrated. Frustration affects people around you and the relationships you have with them.
[bctt tweet=”Lack of orientation often results in a waste of energy, time and resources.” username=””via PasteurEmmanuel””]
Also, lack of knowing where to go impacts us at two levels:
- It hinders personal growth.
- It hinders your impact on other people.
The second reason to feel stuck results from fear of failure
Imagine yourself as the driver again. On this trip, you are taking a group of people some place.
Then, you realize that you don’t remember what your destination is. No one in the car knows the direction of the site. But, they all trusted you, in the first place, that you would take them to their destination.
The experience out of this is a disappointment. The people, who thought you would get them where they should be, would feel let down.
Because of that, you feel sad and disappointed with yourself. You have failed to fulfill the promise you made to yourself and other people.
This also applies to our everyday living. We make promises but are, at times, unable to fulfill them. Failure to do what we have planned for may affect our work, family, friends.
[bctt tweet=”We get stuck and even give up only when we allow the feeling of failure fill our mind.” username=””via PasteurEmmanuel””]
But, the truth is, if you want to give a ride to other people, you may get some who will want to travel with you.
So, failure in life is not always your end. It may be the end of a season, but not of your entire life.
You get stuck when you let this feeling of disappointment dictate what you should do next.
The third reason to feel stuck comes out of personal alienation
Lack of orientation and a sense of failure could alienate you from people.
But, remember this is the first response to confusion and failure. It only happens when you let it. It only occurs when you choose “fight or flight” natural responses.
Both will alienate you from people. You either fight them or flee from them.
Doing so takes you deeper in your feeling of being stuck.
The fourth reason to feel stuck has to do with lack of self-awareness
Self-awareness is such a great skill to have. It should be the starting point for self-discovery.
Self-awareness helps you bring to the surface your strengths and weaknesses. Your strengths are endowments that you have since your birth. I would say that these represent potential God created with to fulfill your destiny.
In other words, getting to your destination requires all the potential God has placed in you. But, you have to discover them first to help you decide what paths to take and what direction you should be on.
Lack of self-awareness makes you feel stuck. Life becomes like driving a car to an unknown destination. It could also be like you are driving using the wrong address. No matter the speed or what road you take, you will never get where you should be.
[bctt tweet=”Self-awareness is the ability that provides you with the right address and destination.” username=””via PasteurEmmanuel””]
Now that you know the reasons why you may feel stuck let’s discuss how to get moving again in three steps.
Step #1: Acknowledge the need for help
As pointed earlier, self-awareness is the starting point. Here’s how you could exercise self-awareness.
1. Meditation
Why do you have to meditate? I have three reasons about the importance of meditation. First, meditation is a way of shutting down all the distractions of life.
Second, meditation is a way of connecting with your Creator. It is in God that we discover our identity and entire being (Acts 17:28).
Third, God shows us ways we can serve Him and other people better. God is the Only One, according to me, who can place us on the right path and head in the right direction.
2. Ask for feedback
Talk to your family, friends and other people asking them what they think about you. Ask the same to your co-workers. That way, you’ll gain some insights on who you are.
3. Take a spiritual gift inventory
Taking a spiritual gift inventory is an exercise you can do to identify what gifting you may have. Here are a few places where you can find resources to help you with that: Gift Test or Church growth.
Most of these spiritual gift inventories have over 60 questions for you to answer. So, make sure to set aside at least twenty minutes for it.
Step #2: Sit at the feet of a Teacher
Once you master a little bit of self-awareness, seek help.
The support I am talking about here means that you have to sit at the feet of a teacher.
In other words, become a disciple of someone who’s greater and more experienced.
I have teachers for the different roles I play in my life. These include being: a Christian, a husband, father, a brother, a pastor, a coach, a blogger, etc.
I listen to most of my teachers via their podcasts and read their blogs. I watch lots of Youtube videos to learn something new. Some offer free materials while others ask you to pay.
I also meet in person with other people to learn from them.
Remember that being a disciple implies a life of discipline. This lifestyle means being intentional about doing what you have to do.
Discipline is also about accountability. You need someone to hold you accountable to your goals and plan.
Step #3: Confidence
Confidence is not something we choose to have. It is a result of the above: self-awareness, being at the feet of a teacher and always asking for help when necessary.
Confidence takes away the fear of trying and failing. It gives you the courage to move forward into your future unafraid.
Being confident enables you to take risks. Confidence allows you to grow. It makes you the best version of yourself at the end of the day.
I would like to hear from you. Please, let me a comment or share this post with someone that may need to read it. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog!
