The world has changed in the past few months and the “new normal” has people reeling because the change has been quite sudden. Without warning, everyone had to give up their usual routines. Dreams and plans have been put on hold. It’s therefore not surprising that there are a lot of people who have been feeling stuck.
It can certainly be disheartening when you feel like you’re not making any progress. However, you can also look at it from another perspective. When you’re stuck, you’re also in a perfect place to reorient yourself and find new purpose and goals. How do you do this? Here are a few helpful tips:
Define Yourself and What You Want
When you’re feeling stuck, two of the most important things you should know are who you truly are and what you want in life. To get clear, meaningful answers to these questions, you need to consider the things you value the most. Are you an honest person? Do you love your family the most and prioritize their welfare? Think about the elements that make up your true self.
Then, be clear about what you want. Admit that you want these things so that you can create plans to achieve them. Write them down if you have to. More importantly, don’t feel ashamed. If you want to be rich so that you can provide for your family, then acknowledge that. Only by “owning” these desires will you be able to work on pursuing them.
Turn Inwards
Sometimes, when you’re looking for inspiration or trying to overcome an obstacle, you end up looking at other people or things. It’s certainly not wrong to do this. However, it’s also important to realize that more often than not, the answer lies within you. It might be difficult to accept at first. After all, you wouldn’t get stuck if you already have all the answers.
A personal development coach can help you in this regard. They can help you realize and develop your gifts, knowledge, and talents in order to overcome any challenge. Working with a personal development coach can also boost your confidence, discover strengths, and reveal your true self. This way, you can continue to grow even in the face of challenges.
Listen to Your Inner Voice
As previously mentioned, most of the time, you possess the answers to life’s questions and the key to getting unstuck. In fact, you already have something that will guide you toward the right path: your inner voice. It’s something like intuition, but also something deeper that connects you to your true self. By listening to your inner voice, you can plot the perfect course to reach your destination.
Your inner voice can also help you figure out where you are exactly in relation to your goals. In turn, this can help you determine how you can stay aligned with your purpose as you go along your path.
Create a Life Purpose Statement
There are times when all you need to find a new purpose (or rediscover an “old” one) is to be reminded of it. Take a well-deserved break and simply focus on writing a statement or manifesto of your life’s purpose. Picture your ideal world, where everything is going according to your plan. This will help you visualize your goals, and thus your purpose in life.
By the end of this exercise, the result may or may not be what you were working towards before. That’s okay. The important thing is to have something that will remind you of where you want to be and what you want to achieve.
Think of the Greatest Joys You’ve Had
When you’re feeling stuck and unsatisfied with your life, it might be a little difficult to remember when you were last happy. This is exactly the reason why you should spend some time listing all the moments when you’ve felt greatest joy. Try to go as far back as your childhood and make sure that those moments are moments when you’re truly happy.
The key here is to be honest with yourself. Sometimes, the things that made you happy before may not be the same things that make you happy now. This might lead you to exclude those “previous joys” from your list. Don’t do this! Include everything that made you feel genuine happiness. Then, once you’ve written everything down, look for a pattern. Were you helping others when you felt this kind of joy? Were you in a leadership position? By completing this simple exercise, you can figure out your life purpose and also how you can make yourself happy.
Take Care of Yourself
When things are going wrong, you might feel that urgent need to solve things as soon as you can. The problem with this is that you can’t work towards fulfilling your purpose if you don’t have enough energy to do it. Take care of yourself first in a holistic manner. Nourish your mind, body, and soul before you start chasing your dreams. Remember: you can’t pour from an empty cup!
Once you’ve had enough rest, you’ll have an easier time figuring out your new purpose or renewing your enthusiasm for the old ones.
It can be difficult to see silver linings when your career or even your whole life is not moving forward. Hopefully, these tips can help you realign yourself and find something new on which to focus your energy.
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