Getting unstuck

I'll admit it: I'm feeling a bit stuck lately. Part of the next stage of business development at my studio involves making room for and landing higher-paying jobs, and instead of moving forward, plan in hand, I've spent the last couple of days staring at my computer, hitting "Get Mail" over and over again. That, and feeling incredibly guilty, like I'm somehow sabotaging my business with non-productivity.

What causes this? Is it a fear of failure? Is it fear of success? Is it the fact that spring has been threatening to invade New England for a couple of weeks now, but the temperature doesn't seem to have caught on to this yet?

A little bit of each, I think. But what to do about it?

Looking back at the times I've felt this way, I realize that it's usually a relatively short, passing thing that always precedes something major - and it usually marks the fact that there's something I'm missing in the path I'm taking. The worst part of this, as an entrepreneur, is feeling like you're being unproductive, like you should be out *doing* something. But part of owning your own business is making room for creativity and brainstorming, and sometimes that means having a couple of days off while you sort through something that's sticking you. 

And thinking about it some more, I realize that becoming unstuck generally requires two things:

• telling someone you're feeling stuck (which I'm doing)
• going somewhere quiet, away from technology and all the things you "need" to do, and contemplating what it is you really want from whatever's sticking you.  

Step two is where I'm at right now; thus, I sign off. But here's a question: what do you do when you find yourself not moving forward? 

Comments

[Melissa]

So timely. I've been hitting the send and receive all day! Other people do that too? I thought I was neurotic! You are so right that getting away helps. I notice that sometimes I sit here all day trying to figure out what to do next, failing miserably. I finally give up and so something else and then go to bed. I often have great ideas as I drift off to sleep or when I first wake up.

I think we get tunnel vision looking at our computer. We need to get up, see something new, experience the world around us with all its inspirations, and just relax and let it come.

Thanks for making me focus on this. I'm taking a break tomorrow and going for some inspiration.

[Yvonne DiVita]

Maybe Mercury is in retrograde, again. I like to blame it on the stars, but I've been stuck for about 3 days now. Told hubby, "I'm not happy." But, could not describe what that means.

I agree with you - in hindsight, it means bigger things are likely on the horizon. And, getting away from the computer helps, big time.

Now, if you have advice on how to break that steel bond to my computer - share! It won't let me go!

[Tammy]

I know that stuck feeling all too well!

But really, when you think about it, you're not really stuck it's just your minds way of regenerating. When you have this to do and that to do and are so focused on doing and not on just being in the moment you can find yourself "stuck".

You hit the nail on the head when you said "there may be "something missing on the path you are taking". For me, I found that I would wind up allocating my time on things and doing "stuff" that wasn't really important to me. So being stuck is just the way you know that either you aren't really doing what matters most or you need a break.

Get from behind the computer, go out and do something totally for you. Take sometime to get in touch with what you are truly feeling and thinking and see if it matches what you are doing.

Great post and best of luck!!

Tammy
http://walksinthesand.wordpress.com

[Diane K. Danielson]

Dani - Great post. When I get stuck I know I have to shake things up. I did that today. I went to a conference that was a bit out of my normal scope and yet I learned more and came up with some new, fresh ideas for the Downtown Women's Club. My recommedation: change up your schedule - get out of the house and away from the computer!

Diane K. Danielson
ceo, http://www.downtownwomensclub.com

[Dan Erwin]

I learned years ago to take a long walk, even an hour or two, when stuck. Usually it worked. And, on occasion when the issue was quite problematic, I'd take that time every day until the problem was unstuck.

Recently, several studies in neuroscience have indicated that that was exactly the right thing to do. It cleans up and clears up the mind.

[Carolyn]

I'm so glad to hear that I'm not the only one who does this and feels guilty about it. I have to say though that for me its less about being stuck (although sometimes I am) and more about not wanting to do something that's necessary but perceived by me to be unpleasant.

[Leah Graves]

Dani,
Great article. Very helpful to read as I finish up my week.

[cynthia murphy]

Great post Dani,
As a creative (kitchen and bath designer) I get stuck all the time on the business side of things. Lately, I do exactly what I do when I am designing and get stuck, I turn it all off for several hours sometimes a couple of days. It always seems to work itself out with a solution popping in while I'm driving, walking or doing something completely mindless. The path lays itself out right in front of me. The key for me is to listen, write it down and then when I am back in my office just do it! That for me is the hard part when its business because as a creative I get caught in my head and try to overthink the logistics. I bet ninety percent of the time the logistics would work themselves out,just get out of my head and out of the way by putting things in motion. Even if it doesn't work --no harm no foul at least I tried something new!

Thanks for the great post, it helped me work out my own strategy!