Do you feel stuck?

Like you just keep trying to get where you want to go but nothing seems to stick? You find yourself moving onto the next thing to see if that will work instead? You’re not alone. I’ve been there and I want to share how I got unstuck, so you can do the same.

There are many reasons we can get stuck, but I want to highlight just a few core ones that you can use right away to evaluate where you’re at and what you can do to get UNSTUCK.

Rest assured that the enemy wants you to remain stuck and God wants you unstuck, so you can pursue His call on your life. Today is the day.

For any of what you read next to make a difference that lasts, you must first know Jesus Christ. If you don’t have a real personal relationship with Him as your Savior and Lord, email me or schedule some time and let’s talk (Ryan@yourfaithatwork.org).

1. Get full and stay full

You can’t pour anything out of an empty cup. You need to have your cup overflowing if you want to be the best version of you and of value to anyone else. I unconsciously thought this was selfish, but finally realized that the best thing I can do is to stay full so I can be at my best.

So, what fills you up? What makes a great day for you? What makes you excited? Podcasts? Reading? Writing? Slow starts to the day? Talking with friends? Prayer? Whatever it is, do it and do it more consistently. Make it a priority to stay full.

You need to make time for it. You have to prioritize investing in yourself. There’s a reason the airlines tell you to put your own oxygen mask on first: you can’t help anyone else if you pass out. You can’t be at your best if you’re not full.

2. Manage your state

I learned I must take responsibility for how I feel, my attitude, and my mindset. How you show up is up to you. You want to always be the best version of yourself, so how do you accomplish that?

You are responsible for how you feel and the mindset you adopt. Take notice: are you generally in a good mood or a bad mood? Do you have a positive outlook or a negative outlook? How did you interpret what happened to you yesterday? How did you respond on the inside?

Do you let the attitudes of others have an undesired impact on you? Stop making excuses and don’t give them that kind of power. Learn to manage your state and rise above what’s happening around you – Jesus didn’t always respond the same to people and circumstances, but it was always measured and in control.

I have found that with just a little focused effort, we can make a massive difference. If you notice you’re in a bad mood, don’t wait until the end of the day to deal with it. Take control of your attitude, your mindset and your state. Every moment of every day.

3. Take a hard look at yourself

Evaluate important areas of your life; what’s working well and what’s not? Take steps to put things in the right order. Do you have alignment between what you value and what you spend your time on?

Get clear on what’s working and do more of it. Get clear on what’s not working and take steps to fix it or remove it. Focus on becoming a leader you would want to follow. Do this in every area God has assigned to you.

4. Make a decision, then take fast action

The first step is to make a decision. Once you have made up your mind, I mean really made up your mind, it’s time to take action. If you’re not motivated to act, you haven’t made a real decision.

Start with small steps. Make smaller commitments so you can keep them. I have found that I was often frustrated because I couldn’t even keep commitments I made to myself. Once I recognized it, I made smaller commitments that I could easily keep with no mental resistance. If it’s too big, I ended up doing nothing.

Take small steps and focus on consistency, not doing everything at once. Achievement and perfection are great attributes but not if they become roadblocks to progress.

5. Fix the energy leaks

Do you have any small things that constantly pester you? An ever-increasing to do list? The mess of papers or piles of mail? Half-done tasks? Nagging thoughts about the past? Worries about the future or decisions you’re putting off?

Whatever it is it, is stealing your energy, joy and peace. What can you do today to start fixing an energy leak? Do you need to forgive yourself or someone else? Maybe you need to finally resolve to deal with something – today is the day.

If it’s something physical like a messy desk, set a timer and work on it for just 10 minutes before you sleep tonight. You will feel the difference.

6. Stop trying to change others or please others

Making a change for yourself is already a full time job. Don’t try to add changing others. You are responsible to God for what you do and how you act. God can change others when it’s time.

Make sure the change you’re making is not only because you want it to lead to a change in others. If that’s your reason, you will eventually grow weary and give up if they don’t change. Make your reason because you want to be obedient to God and glorify Him by being the best version of you, just like you were created to become.

If you have been prioritizing pleasing others at the expense of what you really want and your own convictions, start to learn how to express what you really want. People may not always respond positively, but at least they will be getting the real version of you.

It’s a process and you will make mistakes – just keep on the path.

7. Master your thinking

Lastly, and certainly not least, pay attention to what you think about. In a way, this one overshadows all the others.

We have 60,000-80,000 thoughts per day and research shows that for most people 80% of them are negative. You can’t always choose what comes into your mind but you can choose what stays there and what you dwell on.

Continually renewing your mind brings you into agreement with the truth of God’s Word (Rom 12:2).

Take the next step

All of these must be done with the Holy Spirit’s guidance and as a means to deepen your fellowship with Jesus. You can’t do it on your own. You must be in God’s Word and in regular time of prayer and worship.

Which one of these impacted you the most? Did you get some sense of relief or freedom?

Want a jump start? I can help

If you want help, send me an email (Ryan@yourfaithatwork.org) or set up a FREE video call for us to chat about getting you UNSTUCK and on the path God laid out for you before you were even born.