Have you ever felt stuck in life? No matter what you do, your life is not moving in right direction and it just feels stuck in a rut? Believe me I have been there often. You can read many self help books, find a career or life coach, but unless we are ready to make change within ourselves nothing will work out. Other books, coach can help only when we are ready to make change within ourselves.
I am going to share 100 simple and free ways to quickly change your life in from stuck to moving on right direction again. Only if you willing to take action on it, this free guide will change your life. It is okay to feel stuck or down, but we can pick ourselves again by doing simple and doable steps. Ready?
1. Do nothing for 5 minutes:; When you feel stuck or overwhelm, do not go in to productivity mode just yet. Recharge yourself first. Close your eyes, sit in Sun or drink your favorite cup of coffee, juice or tea. Leave worries on table for just five minutes, just try the best you can. Now you are ready for next steps.
2. No distractions: Shut off your cell phone, TV, and close your computer, emails. Tell everyone not to disturb for next 20-30 minutes. Go to quite place or room corner.
3. Sit down: Take a seat at table and chair and take a notebook, piece of paper and pen in front of you to note down ideas and issues.
4. Write down Issues: Write down whatever that is bothering you or making you feel stuck. Do not try to worry about solutions yet.
5. Write down Good things: Now that you have written things are are not good in your life or what is bothering you, next step is write down things are working for you and things that makes you happy. It could be kids, new bonus however small it is write it down in next page.
6. Write down on your passion, dreams: Do not worry about how crazy your dreams you may think they are, write it down in new page: all of your dreams, passions and what you envision your life would be if everything was going great for you and what you loved.
7. Just write: You have 30 minutes total to do this, so do not worry about grammar, your handwriting skills or copy writing skills. This list is for your eyes only, just write what you feel inside, without worrying about other things.
8. Leave writing and take a break: Generally it should take about 20-30 minutes to do this, if you need more or less time, that is okay too. After you write it all down, leave the list as it is. Do not make changes or correction. Take another 5 minutes break.
9. Read the list: Read the list to see what are your dreams, what is bothering you and what is good in your life right now. You will notice that there might be a connection between your dreams, passions and what is bothering you. How? You are probably not living life according to your passion or dream or way you envisioned your life.
10. Analyze the List: I would suggest that you analyze the list next day as too much of critical thinking can take a toll at once. Do it slow. Come back to that list again next day when you are relaxed. Do following;
11. Changing/updating: Is anything on list needs changing: adding or taking off? Do so, with light pencil, so you can still see the original writing.
12. Set realistic goals: What are realistic ways to achieve your dreams and what is bothering you? If you have one of the issue which might not be realistic then rethink. For example, you can only control what you can do not, if you want a raise by your boss, you can work hard, but you can not change your boss’s mind to give you raise.
13.Any Surprise?: Did anything on the list surprised you? Is your life is not as bad as you thought? or worse than you had imagined it?
14. Plan: What are steps to take to reach your realistic dreams? What are the issues that making you feel stuck and are there any ways to simplify it?
15. Asking help: Can you ask for help from someone you know? Can your hire someone if you had budget? Do you have time to do that certain thing?
16. Lifestyle Changes: What are the things that you are willing to compromise to getting over what is bothering you? For example, if it is debt/money issues, you may choose to let go cable tv, newspaper subscriptions, or eating out less because being debt free is more important to you.
17. Daily Plan: Make a daily plan to do a small tasks towards it to achieve a little towards your goal and make sure you hold your self accountable for it. Reference to your notes that you did it first exercise again to see your progress daily. Some days it may feel slow and other days you may achieve a lot.
18. Be Consistent: Most important thing do not lose hope, even when you do not see the result, keep doing your work and keep focus on your goal. Be consistent.
19. Review goals: Change and update your list in 6 months of time to see what was bothering you 6 months ago is no longer an issue. You may have new issues to deal with, life is like that.
20. Focus on final result: Keep focus on your final goals, which may consist of short term, mid term and long term goals.
21. Reality: You will noticed that you may have still issues once in a while again in life, but if you worked and planned well, these issues will be smaller and less and less from before.
Conclusion:
No matter how successful, rich or beautiful/handsome we might be, all of us goes through overwhelm and stuck feelings where nothing is going right in our life. We can choose to blame our destiny or do little things to change our life for better by focusing and making small changes. If I can do it, anyone of you can.
Other Resources to help you:
Finding Focus Books
Focus: Simplicity Manifesto in Age of Distraction
This book is written by simplicity and minimalist guru, I love: Leo Babauta. This book has a free and paid version with lot of goodies. I am not an affiliate with it, I simply think Leo is great at sharing his views on finding focus in age of so many distraction: In Leo’s own words: “It’s about finding the focus you need to create, to work on what’s important, to reflect, to find peace.”
Click here for Free version: Focus: Free Version
Click here to check out Premium version : Full Version Of Focus
This book is one of the best selling book written by Marcus Buckingham and Donald Clifton. This book describes 34 different types of strengths that a person may have. Based on measurement of these strengths. The book makes the interesting point that it is most effective trying to build on these strengths rather trying to identify and improve upon weaknesses.
Inspirational Videos About feeling stuck and finding Focus:
1. When life is pulling you down, watch this short video (5 minutes) to read these words, in addition to these 21 steps.
2. 20 Words to encourage you when you are feeling stuck:
Other Great Reading
7 Ways to stop feeling stuck: Pick the Brain
Feeling Stuck: Try This: Chris G.
7 Ways to overcoming overwhelm
Your Turn
How do you find focus in your life? What works for you?
Zengirl/Preeti Bhatt
hello preeti
how are you?
thanks for sharing this.
for me no distractions is important. i always need some me time inorder to refresh my body mind and spirit.
writing down passions and dreams is also very helpful because i can make reference to it at a later period.
as for planning, i am not sure if anything could be achieved without planning.
take care of yoruself and enjoy the rest of the day
Hi Preeti,
Very nice post! I agree we are all responsible for our lives. We have got to set goals, plan, persist and take action. We all can achieve our goals and change our life for better. I like the tips you shared, very nice. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Hi Preeti: Great post. I think it is so important that we have a strategy and approach to get unstuck because the reality is that it is something that may come our way from time to time. What a great list. I think all the tips were great advice. Thanks for passing them along. I think one of my favorites was to just take some down time. Some time it really is all about taking some time to relax and find your center. Great post.
Sibyl,
Taking down time is not only beneficial to our current life but it also helps to tackle future events and gives us much needed recharging to keep going. Thanks for chiming in.
Dia,
Yes, others can point us to right direction but we need to make those final steps to get where we want to go. Planning, taking action and staying focused sure help. I am glad to see your input here.
Ayo,
I am fine and how are you?
Yes, distractions can be part of life but sometimes we need that extra peace and quite to think things through when choices may not be easy as black and white. Sometimes being spontaneous works too, but I like to plan and go with flow as life makes it. Thanks for your input.
I clicked on this post because the title really struck me. I am always thinking about how stuck I feel. In a rut I say. I will never complain about my life, as I am so lucky to have things that I need, things that make life full of quality. And it really does bother me that I would be so bothered by things when I should just be so grateful and happy with what I have, who I am and where I’m at. I tried your list here and my list of things that bother me had nothing to do with my dreams! I am actually pursuing my dreams and going to school. And my good list was about a mile long! I guess I need to figure this out from a different approach. But thanks so much for the great advise! It was nice to just sit quietly and get out some emotions on paper!
Jasmine,
I am glad this post helped you a little. Pursuing your dream to go back to school is great idea. I hope you find something that works for you, sometimes answers are easier and sometimes they are hidden and we have to dig through to bring it out. My biggest problem when I feel stuck is when I am counting on others to get me started or sometimes I do not even know where to begin. Take it easy, I am sure answer will come to you. Good luck.
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