We all get there at some point in later in our health and fitness, career, relationships and life!
We feel like we're no longer making progress, not seeing the changes we want or just can't seem to get any stronger. We might feel discouraged, like stuff just does't work for us and stuck in the same cycle. It got hard and overwhelming. What should you do?
Ok, first of all, no need to panic. Let's have a look at my three main things to help you get unstuck in all areas of your life:
1. Explore your options and get testing them
You always have options; thing is, we often don't or can't see them. Believe that you are able to figure everything out. The answer might not be there right away, or what you thought would work actually did not. That does not mean something else won't.
Many of our goals can be very nuanced, and yet the good old news headlines and social media can make issues seem black and white, that there's some silver bullet out there that is going to fix everything for you. The reality is, most goals can be achieved via a variety of different methods. Let's get resourceful. What plan A doesn't work out, what can we try next?
Someone else's diet, workout programme, career path, morning routine etc. WILL NOT work for you. You are different from them, and you are worth figuring out what actually makes you tick and suits you best. Start somewhere, and tweak. One size does not fit all - there are some many different ways that you can create something awesome in your life, and you get to choose your journey.
For example, with fitness then progression in exercise is based on the FITT principle - that is, frequency, intensity, type and time. There are your options If one of those isn't changing, then you're going to hit a bit of a wall. So you could either exercise more often (up the number of sessions), increase the speed or intensity that you're working at, change the type of exercise you are doing or exercise for longer. Try and only change one variable at a time or you may be asking for injury!
2. Get the support you need
We tend to go it alone, for far too long. We think people can't relate, can't help, but honestly, in this vast world, no matter what you're doing, there is another person out there who has already done the same thing and has a road-map for you. Get some support for inspiration, accountability, advice, cheer leading, and connection. My suggestions:
Join local groups full of like-minded people (hello!)
Grab an accountability partner - rope in a friend or family member with the same goals as you
Hire a coach - someone who you connect with, who can give you clarity, challenge and comradery for your specific goal(s).
Hire a therapist - it's not a weakness to involve someone else. There is nothing shameful, to hide or to be laughed at by seeking support from a therapist in any area of your life.
3. Figure out if there's something in your mindset holding you back
Perspective: Are you expecting this change to happen overnight? Or this goal to be achieved next week? We tend to overestimate what we can do in a year and massively underestimate what we can do in five or ten years time. Trust the process. It's the work put in consistently over time that pays off. There's not a magic bullet that's going to fix it all for you - whatever that is. The fitness, strength, relationship, career etc - it takes perseverance, grit, resilience and not giving up. My suggestions:
Take time to reflect on your progress. You don't always have to be thinking about the next obstacle. What have you already overcome?
Take time and space to find perspective. Is what you're thinking is important actually important to you in the depths of your soul?
Hire a coach for perspective, challenge and clarity.
Limiting Beliefs: Are there some unhelpful stories hanging around your brain? Excuses, telling ourselves that's impossible for us, or talking ourselves down? Your mind is SO powerful. Stop that negative self-talk! If you tell yourself that it is impossible for you, then yeah, it is. Some of us have beliefs around money, relationships, business and ideals from childhood and past experience that no longer serve and can massively hold us back and/or affect what opportunities we see and take. My suggestions:
Journalling
EFT (emotional freedom technique) or tapping (for example, simply search 'The Tapping Solution')
Meditation
Hire a coach
Where else do you feel stuck? Let me know below or send me a quick message and I'll help you get unstuck. You can apply to work with me and get the support you need. We can figure this out together; you're not on your own. And yeah, hiring a coach is an option to get unstuck in all of the above - and if it's not me, my advice stays the same! I'm not biased in that. A coach can still massively help and save you months and years of trying to figure it out on your own.
What options have you explored, support you've found or mindset that's helped, you get unstuck? Share below to support each other!