3 Simple Ways to Know when You are Stuck

Getting stuck

After passing the same police station for the second time, Jill suggested that Jack should stop, go in and ask them how to get to their destination. She felt that they were lost and stuck. Jack declined to do so. He said that everything was fine. He knew where he was going. He was focused on getting there.

The truth is, Jack’s confidence was evaporating like a pricked balloon. However, he didn’t want to admit that he was lost and stuck, even to himself. He continued driving.

Jill told him they were going around in circles and that they had passed the same police station several times already. Jack told her it was a different station. He kept going but after 30 minutes he was confused and he could no longer hide his lack of clarity and loss of confidence. He was worn out with trying to figure it out and hide what was really happening. He had to admit that on his own, he didn’t have the capacity to get to their destination.

Could you be lost like Jack? 

Denial is a powerful force. As a human being, you gravitate toward it. Here’s why. Reality is often painful. It is hard to know and admit to yourself that you are stuck. You feel like a failure. Even though you shouldn’t, you feel embarrassed and even ashamed.

At the same time, the simple truth is that you easily miss when you are stuck. Let me explain. You are so busy and driven that you don’t pause long enough to figure out what is truly happening. Like Jack, you are focused on getting to where you are going in life. Thus, as we saw in 3 Critical Things to Do to Get Unstuck Now, your instinct is to accelerate and keep going.

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It is important, therefore, to know when you are stuck so that you can become unstuck without delay.

Here are three simple ways to know when you are.

#1 A Loss of Clarity When You Are Stuck

There was a time when everything was clear. You knew exactly where you were going and how to get there. Thus, you had focus. People admired your ability to tune out distractions and move steadfastly toward your goal. You could do so because you had clarity. You knew who you were, what your purpose and assignment were and you were unstoppable. Then, something changed. You lost clarity.

Now, you struggle to know what to do. You wake up day after day and go through the motions. On the surface, nothing has changed. However, you know the difference. You don’t have the focus you once had. You’re no longer sure why you’re doing what you’re doing. You lack purpose. 

Furthermore, the way ahead is murky. You no longer see the future clearly. What should you do to move from darkness to light? You have lost your drive.

#2 A Loss of Capacity When You Are Stuck

You see, when all is clear your capacity is at a high level, you are easily motivated.

• You get up with excitement.
• You move with enthusiasm.
• You know where you are going and you are well on your way to getting there. Y
• ou go from milestone to milestone and you are super productive.
• Furthermore, no one has to tell you to get going. You’re already there.

However, when clarity goes, this changes.

Now, when you are stuck everything is a chore. You drag yourself from thing to thing. Your capacity for enthusiasm is greatly diminished, if not altogether missing. Likewise, your capacity for purposeful action is decreased. Moreover, your capacity for sustained engagement is wrecked. You are burned out.

SEE ALSO: If you want to get more from your life, and are looking for concrete action steps to get you there, check out our Request a Coach page. It’s a “cut the fence-sitting and take action” way to tackle your issues and actually find success. You’ll be matched with the coaches most suited to you to get you from where you are to where you want to be. To get off the fence and start to take action, click or tap here.

What do you have instead? Diminishing returns on what you do. A lack of fulfillment in your daily activities. Added to that, everything is flat. No highs. No lows. Just flat.

Here’s the kicker. You have questions about yourself that you push down because you are afraid to face them. This is what happens when you are stuck.

#3 A Loss of Confidence When You Are Stuck

Nothing shakes your confidence like a lack of clarity and capacity. What happened to that person who faced and did everything with assurance? When you saw a mountain, you didn’t ask how high. You just started climbing it, confident that you would get over it.

Now, when you see the mountain, you not only ask how high, you do everything you can to avoid it. When faced with things that once seemed simple, you question yourself. You doubt that you can do it. You feel overwhelmed. Then you think, maybe I should try something else. “Nah. I wouldn’t be good enough.” That doubt creeps in again.

• You have lost sight of your uniqueness.
• You have lost sight of your abilities.
• You have replaced confidence with doubt as happens when you are stuck.

If any of the above describes you, you are dealing with the condition of being stuck. It is time to do something about it. Be sure to read, 3 Critical Things to Do to Get Unstuck Now.

Jack in our opening story kept going until he was worn out from trying to figure out where he was and denying that he was stuck, lost. You don’t have to do that. That’s why now is a good time to check yourself and see if you are still clear on your path and calling. When you are stuck you are not. What about your capacity for enthusiasm, purposeful action, and productivity? It may also be that you are suffering from a loss of confidence. If any of these apply to you, take action for these are three simple indicators that you are stuck.

Check out the whole series

Stay tuned for other articles in this series:

3 Key Reasons Why You Get Stuck

3 Critical Things to Do to Get Unstuck Now

If you want to get more from your life, and are looking for concrete action steps to get you there, check out our Request a Coach page. It’s a “cut the fence-sitting and take action” way to tackle your issues and actually find success. You’ll be matched with the coaches most suited to you to get you from where you are to where you want to be. To get off the fence and start to take action, click or tap here.