We’ve all been there…

You find yourself retreading your thoughts, wondering how you got here and unsure what to do next. There’s no real, clear direction about how to move forward. You feel as if you are in a general holding pattern. It’s that unpleasant condition where you don’t know what comes next, and you are unsure if you will ever figure it out.

You are, in a word, STUCK.

It can’t be a coincidence that this word rhymes with “muck” and “yuck.” Because, whether it is a personal or professional matter, being stuck sucks.

Now, there are lots of ways to handle stuck. You can ignore it, compartmentalize it, or minimize it. You can put your mind on something else and hope it simply goes away on its own.

All of those choices are valid and under certain circumstances, might be the best thing to do.

But sometimes, you want to show up, suit up and take it on.

You know, you want to get UNstuck.

Unstuck is special. Unstuck is “like having a first date with someone you are really into” great.

It feels expansive and new, exciting and filled with potential.

So, how exactly do we get to the unstuck?

First, take a deep breath and let it out slowly. Breathing is important to stop the fight or flight response that occurs when we are stressed. Now repeat that several more times until you feel clearheaded. There’s no need to panic. Stuck is uncomfortable but doesn’t need to be permanent.

Next, remember that it’s helpful to realize that your best thinking got you here, so you need some new thinking. And new thinking comes as a result of learning.

Depending on your style, you may choose to talk about the situation with a trusted confidant, do some research, or even sit and capture your thoughts in a journal. Consider taking a walk while doing your thinking. Walking leads to good breathing and breathing helps immensely with thinking. Thinking can lead to new perspective and new perspective leads to forward movement.

Forward movement means the state of “stuck” has been defeated and you are now free to do new things. Great things. Things that will make other things happen.

And when things are happening, stuck will quickly become a distant memory.