Feeling STUCK? Here are 8 tips on getting UNSTUCK
Feeling stuck? I think we've all been there. That point where you don't see your projects moving forward, you don't see tangible results and feel like you are in a dead end. It can be quite demoralizing and the motivation flies out the window.
Well, as someone wise once said "Even if you don't see results, it is important to keep moving into a direction". Below is a list of tips which helped me overcome the feeling of being stuck on several occasions.
1. Deconstruct. Sometimes a project seems too big and ambitious to start, so we choose to procrastinate or do literally anything else, rather than tackling what needs to be done. The reason behind that is that (probably) we didn't figure out the smallest immediately actionable task in order to get started. If your task is "Create a website", it is a huge project! Your smallest immediate action could be "search website creation platforms on Google" or "ask X friend how he created his website".
2. Start anywhere. You got your smallest immediate actionable tasks down, but don't really know where to start? Start anywhere. The important part is to get things started. Let's take the previous example of creating a website. No one will ask you whether you started with the homepage and ended with the contact form. You can start with your bio, continue with photos and social media and end with your homepage.
3. Take perfection out of the equation. This is something that many entrepreneurs know very well. Very rarely was a product perfect at its first appearance on the market. The UK entrepreneur Rob Moore always says on his podcast "Start now, get perfect later." How will you know if what you are doing is good or not? Try it out!
4. The 2-minute-rule. In his book "Getting things done", David Allen introduces what he calls the "2-minute-rule". When you have several tasks on your to-do list you could ask yourselves" which of these tasks require two minutes or less of my attention and time?". Go for those and build momentum for tackling more time consuming and important tasks.
5. Take a day off. Sometimes we feel stuck because we never stop to take a breath and get a fresh perspective on whatever it is we are doing. Decide on a day of the week which will be your day off from work. It will not only help you get unstuck but also bring you energy and new ideas.
6. Eliminate the distractions. With the multitude of apps and platforms competing for our attention, it is very tempting to spend "a couple of minutes" which transform into hours on Instagram watching Reels or on TikTok. If making progress with your projects means deleting a couple of apps for the day, so be it!
7. Get together in a group. On his podcast "Your undivided attention", the creator of Netflix's "Social dilemma", Tristan Harris was taking about a "doubt club" which he joined in the Silicon Valley. It was a group of people who met once a week and discussed their doubts regarding their companies, projects, plans, technologies they were working on and so on. Once their doubts were told out loud, some understood that their fears had little to know foundation or got support from the other members of the club. If you have doubts about your goals and projects, get together with like-minded people and talk about it.
8. Plan the day before. Before leaving work aside and enjoying your evening, ask yourselves "what is that one action I can do tomorrow to bring me closer to my goals?". Write that down and get it done the next day.
Remember, it is better to do one small step each day than a big leap once in a while.
If you need help or would like to talk about your doubts in becoming or continuing your career as a professional musician, you can book a virtual coffee with me or a one-to-one coaching session on my website.
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Comment below and let me know what tips you have for getting unstuck ;)
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