There can be several things that can slow progress on your goals, but some are internal, and you need to find motivation when you are stuck. This can be a common problem, and I hope to share some common and uncommon solutions for you!
Is Stuck Really Stuck?
First, I want to show some of the ways progress slows progress and get them into different categories to deal with.
You may have challenges that hold you up that may seem to not be your problem. Say I ask for heIp from a personal trainer to develop a new workout to meet my weight loss goal. My goal, like any good goal, includes a time expected to complete. This is a situation where I can be stuck and in danger or missing my goal!
I have had some projects that were enormous. Both in scale and in the number of items to accomplish before me. When I sat down to schedule the next week I would just freeze. Doubt would start to creep in immediately and make me wonder if I was even up for this task.
Despite my best efforts, I can’t foresee everything that can come up during a project or when I’m working on some goals. While the destination might not change, the path to get there might. Invariably, I may miss a step – not sure what to do next.
How Stuck Can We Get?
One of the most important part of a SMARTER goal is that it is Achievable. Missed goals are disappointing. Having to move the date in which I hoped to accomplish something, or perhaps flat out fail in other ways can have huge impacts. Achieved goals inspire one to create more and create a sense of accomplishment that can power you for decades.
I remember dreading my goal check ins during a time when my goal was huge and intense. I was working on the Personal Retreat and had some writing deadlines, but work kept interfering. On top of that, I was having a block about a particular strategy that is integral to the retreat. The size of the goal was intimidating and the massive amount of pressure I put on myself just made it worse.
Much like massive goals, not having the next step of your goal clear can be intimidating. I remember getting an idea to further a project I was working on and took a quick note. That note was not clearly written and the mind that created it was nowhere near the later mind that read it.
Where to Find Motivation
Knowing what these issues are and why they’re so challenging gets us a lot closer to solving them. The next parts are both common sense and some uncommon tactics to find motivation when you are stuck.
First, during your goal setting process, make sure you spend time to visualize yourself in this new state with the goal completed. If you establish this feeling, it can really help you muscle through some of these moments. That feeling can even fuel your own solutions to problems in ways you might have been unable to before!
If there is one thing I’ve learned, I need to follow up on requests I make with others. This goes double – no triple, for requests that help me with my goals. I might put a reminder in to ask for someone’s help, and after I ask them, I create another reminder to check in with them. Accountability is key and we need to make sure to stay on top of it.
Spending time breaking down your goal, regardless of the size is key to avoiding that overwhelmed feeling. This is time well spent, and larger goals may require some detailed lists. There may even be dependencies between different steps which can create those stuck states. Try to think around them ahead of time. An obstacle you plan for is no longer an obstacle.
Even if you get overwhelmed, like in the case where the unforeseen happens, you can stop midway and re-evaluate your plan. Don’t be afraid to take things back to the drawing board. You may even need to slightly change your goal. This is where that visualization of the goal becomes helpful. You won’t get bogged down in the minutia, because you know what success will feel like.
I hope you enjoyed this article and can come away with ways you can find motivation when you are stuck. Please let me know if this helps, what was your challenge and how it helps. Did you find your own way through it? I’d love to know so we can help others too!