Why do we get stuck?
I want to give a fresh and not at all comprehensive view of why we might get stuck, so that we can understand how to “unstuckenify” ourselves. Sound good? Cool.
Momentum
The way I picture getting stuck is a wheel driving into mud and coming to a complete stop. When we get stuck, we experience a halt of whatever momentum we had. Sometimes, the deficit of this momentum is what causes us to get stuck. This can lead us to ask the following questions:
“Why didn’t I have more pushing me forward?”
Perhaps the point of momentum isn’t to be completely self-sustaining, nor entirely interdependent. If you are the only one pushing yourself forward, you will find it difficult to keep going. Likewise, if everyone else is pushing you and you lack agency to push yourself, you will experience a loss of momentum. The crucial point is to have a hybrid propulsion system of both your energy and the support of others around you.
“Why do I lack the power to keep going on my own?”
If you find yourself lacking the power to sustain your own momentum, it may be a hint that you have not directed resources toward the methods of outward sustenance. What I mean by this is that we need to support others who will support us, and we need to be more energy-conscious of our own resources so that we can operate more efficiently. A clean machine will run twice as long with half the intake, but that doesn’t happen overnight.
“How did I get here?”
Sometimes we lose focus of where our momentum is taking us. Sometimes we mistake what’s ahead of us for something else entirely. Other times, we are moving so fast that we can’t even adequately process what lies ahead of us. Regardless of which cause we fall under, it’s important to understand that momentum can take over and make the wheel spin so fast that we need to employ much greater measures to try and steer it.
Resistance
In accordance with the muddy wheel analogy, resistance is the vacuum that forms between the wheel and the mud. Resistance is the reason why it is so hard to break loose from things that grip onto us in order to keep us from moving. Resistance is the physical, tangible, visual aspect of being stuck. It’s the blockage, the counterweight, the lock. Resistance is what causes the stuck person to ask:
“What is stopping me from moving again?”
The object of resistance can be a lot of different things, and that’s not really what we’re here to discuss. What we are here to discuss is the process you need to partake of in order to get moving again. The first step is to ascertain what the source of resistance is, and then take note of the methodology you employ to overcome it.
“Why are my movements so futile?”
This question can point us toward the nature of the resistance we are fighting so that we can overcome it. In order to come up with creative ideas for solutions, we need to understand our problems. The way that a doctor diagnoses a patient is first by asking what their symptoms are, then investigating further. The symptoms are not a definite way of diagnosis, but they do give an idea of what flow chart to go down.
“How can I get moving again?”
The answer to this question will also change depending on the issue, but the key aspect of this question is that it maintains and boosts a motivated attitude that is desirous of forward movement. In the diagnosis process, we must not allow our situation or process bog us down and take our minds off of the goal of restarting forward movement.
Gravity
When we think of gravity, we tend to think of it in two aspects. The first is the impact of a situation, and the second is the reality of it. In the analogy I’m using here, gravity is what causes the impact of getting stuck. That instance creates a drop and a shock that not only takes you aback, but also amplifies the bond between you and the ground. The strength of this bond mandates a greater force to push you out of it. The impact can cause you to ask the following questions:
“What just happened?”
Impacts cause us to investigate the nature, reason, and status of a shift from our expectations. The principle of gravity is not what confuses us, it is the implementation of us to a greater degree than we expected. When we don’t see a pothole, we are stunned when we drive over it. When we don’t see a speed bump, we are also stunned to go over it. This confusion begins the investigation process of unstuckenifying yourself.
“Where am I?”
Locating your place not only in scope of the journey, but in fixation on the problem is important. I think we tend to overlook just how much and how quickly we infer data from our surroundings. Questioning what we see is crucial to understanding it and educating ourselves on how we need to approach our solutions.
“How much power will I need to get out?”
The aspect of resource management is as important in the beginning of a journey as it is when restarting the journey. The calculation of resources is important because it will impact every part of your journey from this point onward. Over-expenditures will create waste and overcompensation. Efficiency is important!
Conclusion
Hopefully I didn’t get too lost in the metaphorical weeds on this one. I think this mostly comes from questions I wish I had more thoroughly considered when I have found myself stuck creatively, motivationally, or even just in energy resources. My ideal is that writing this out will help me to follow up and make sure I understand how to have a better approach in the future. I hope it’s helpful for you too!
Thanks for not reading.
