UNIVERSAL MAN – EP 3 – STUCK

There is not a person on the planet who has not been ‘stuck’ at some point in their lives. Being ‘stuck’ can take many forms. One can feel frozen, like the proverbial deer in the highlights or lethargic, overwhelmed, foggy, bored, trapped. You get the picture.
The common energy in ‘stuck’ is one of non-movement. There is nothing happening – you feel blocked, no way out, lacking the needed personal resources, your legs like lead and your energy either zapped or all over the place. Stuckness can happen in one’s professional life / career, in relationships, life circumstance, physical fitness, inner journey and more.
In this episode we look at this stuck and ‘why’ it may be happening and then suggest ways you can get moving again.
Being stuck is natural, a normal part of the growth and life cycle. You can’t be running on overdrive all of the time. You can’t have the wisdom of a Yoda figure constantly. There are natural times when the psyche needs to withdraw, stand still, go within, go numb – all of which is a kind of self-protection but also a pointer to deeper and greater wisdom. Stuck is an energy – it can be telling us something. It can be asking us something. It can be pointing to a deeper wisdom.
The first step in moving beyond stuck is to admit it. “I’m stuck!” That personal, inner acknowledgment actually will free up some energy in itself. From this admission it is important to unpack what is going on for you. Understanding where your blocked energy is coming from or understanding what is blocking your energy is the key forward.
Every one of us goes about unpacking in our unique way. For some it is ‘brainstorming’, others journal, others talk the block through with a friend or mentor, others find a ‘still point’ and listen to their intuition (gut feeling), others map what is going on (all the players and factors involved) and then identify a simple, doable, short term goal that gets the energy moving again.

WHY AM I STUCK?

It could be any number of reasons. Here are just a few:

1. Perhaps you are going on the wrong path (personally or professionally). Perhaps what you are putting your energy into is just not ‘your’ thing and your mind is trying to  tell you this. You are paying far too high a price (personally or professionally) for little or no gain. Imagine Glenn McGrath spending hours and hours at the nets attempting to become the opening batsman for the Australian side.
2. Perhaps this is the right path but you’re not going about it the right way.  This might be something like you’re pushing it too early and the timing is not right, you’re pushing too hard and bringing the wrong energy and behaviour to it and it’s costing too many other parts of your life. And when do this often you can experience self-sabotage or just overload.  For some reason you’re just going about it the wrong way and you end up stuck.
3. Perhaps you are on the right path, you are approaching things the right way from a congruency perspective but your strategy of execution is wrong – your game plan won’t get you results.

Regardless of why you are stuck there are some simple ways ‘out’ of this space but don’t rush it. Sometimes the energy of stuck is asking you for deeper introspection, deeper reflection and more lateral thinking. By rushing into an action beyond stuck you may not identify the ‘wisdom’ that lays hidden within that space.

HOW TO FREE YOURSELF

But along with this reflection and introspection there are several ways you can free up our energy.

1. Inject a spike or energy for a short time to shift the whole dynamic by a big amount. This isn’t about doing something small. It’s about going super hard at full sprint for a week or so to change the whole situation. It might be training extra hard, preparing twice as much, learning a whole new system or approach or skill. Just take it to another level of commitment and energy for a short period.
2. Another version of change focus is to ‘reframe’ or ‘re-narrative or re-story’ what is going on. This often brings in a change of focus and perspective. Often this perspective will come from time alone trusting your inner wisdom and deeply listening to what is going on OR breaking open the block with a trusted mentor.
3. Shift perspective in the moment. Go for a run, go to the gym, catch up with some mates, get out into nature, do some yoga. Whatever your thing is to get the energy flowing again and takes full attention away from your problem. It may be as simple as leaving the ‘stuck’ document on your computer and going for a walk around the block or having coffee with a friend.
4. Gather your wolfpack. People with a small, trusted, loyal group of personal or professional advisors around them are rarely stuck for long. Share your stuckness with them; paint the personal or professional picture. It is a kind of group supervision. One of the wolfpack may ask a simple question, make a simple observation or suggest a left field strategy and the energy flows again.
5. Ensure that your strategies are clear and focussed and that your plans are resourced with time, finances and skills.
6. Dial up your skills on a key area your stuck in. This will immediately shift your understanding and get things moving again.

Ultimately know that being stuck is a natural part of the personal and professional life journey.
Sometimes, as silly as it may sound, the only way through ‘stuck’ is to do what the Nike motto says, “Just do it!”
Stay legendary
Grego and Pricey