“If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.” ― Bruce Lee
Hitting plateaus in life, or feeling uncertain about how to progress and grow, is not uncommon. It’s bound to happen. You are ever-changing. Whether due to circumstances beyond your control or experiencing transitions you hadn’t originally anticipated, there will always be things to move forward from.
The problem is, most times when people get stuck, the realization doesn’t come until it feels like it’s “too late.” You might feel frozen without a vision for the future or completely unsure of what you even want. From there, you convince yourself what you have right now is the best you’re going to get.
But that’s simply untrue.
Some major signs that you might be amidst a roadblock in your life:
You feel unsatisfied but lack the motivation to make changes.
You find yourself consuming more than action-taking.
You envision exciting things for yourself but make excuses for why you can’t do them.
You draw comparisons to the way your life used to be or how you thought it would be.
You stop making plans for your future due to indecisiveness or fear of messing up.
You’re quick to think of all the ways something could go wrong.
You often feel unwell or as if you’re just going through the motions.
You gravitate toward unhealthy coping mechanisms (overeating, self-medicating, excess sleeping, etc.)
If you identify with any of these behaviors, chances are you’re spending a lot of time internally arguing with yourself, blaming and beating yourself up over why you’re in this place in life. You may have moments of restlessness, irritability, and frustration. Yet things stay the same.
All of these behaviors are creating repetitive cycles that keep you from reaching for something that you know deep down inside you desire. Maybe you’re putting off a business venture you’ve always wanted to pursue. Perhaps you’ve stopped prioritizing self-care and managing your health. You could be feeling called to leave a relationship that might be damaging to you.
Whatever is occurring in your life that feels unsatisfactory, it’s important you remember that we all experience things that cause us to retreat and avoid what’s right in front of us.
Some notable things that might be preventing you from getting unstuck in your life:
You lost confidence in yourself and are unsure of how to trust yourself to rebuild it.
You don’t know how to sustain your motivation and keep yourself disciplined in your goals.
You faced rejection before and don’t know how to let go of the idea of the potential judgment.
You experienced trauma and don’t feel you have the tools to process it.
You fear the unknown and the growing pains/consequences that might come along with taking a leap.
You spend your time seeking approval from others instead of self-acceptance.
You associate stepping out of your comfort zone with potential failure.
Your current life feels safer than working toward your new one.
When you’ve hit a major roadblock and don’t see a vision for a breakthrough, the last thing you want is to contemplate giving up. There’s a big difference between pivoting in another direction and turning your back on something you want. Pivoting gives you the option to transform and thrive. Turning your back forces you to settle and survive.
If failure is the inability to meet your own expectations, then the ultimate failure is deciding not to try at all. You will feel both pain and pleasure on this journey no matter what path you take. Don’t forget that. But nothing will hurt more than the regret you’ll feel knowing you never took the driver’s seat on the road you visualized paving.
Some helpful advice to boost a breakthrough moment in your life:
Get willing to self-reflect and assess what got you to the point of feeling stuck without victimizing yourself.
Pay attention to the negative behaviors or common excuses that come up in overwhelming moments so you can debunk them.
Forgive yourself for past pain and moments you may have been wronged in your life. The only means of control you have is with the present.
Make a conscious effort to change your inner dialogue. Adjusting your mindset is a habit-forming process.
Understand that with motivation comes discipline. Motivation is your vision and mission, and discipline is your action and strategy.
Realize that what you believe you deserve is what you will receive more of, whether it’s good or bad. The choice is yours.
Consider that if there are 100 ways you think something could go wrong, there are 100 opportunities they could go right, too.
Remind yourself that your fullest potential is whatever you envision it to be.
Seeking help to get unstuck is also not an uncommon option. When you’re feeling blocked from progression you often can’t see beyond your blind spots. Speaking to someone you love or finding a mentor could bridge the gap between what you want and what’s stopping you from getting it.
If you want to find out more about how I’ve spent my 10+ years as a Certified Transformational Coach and Professional Certified Coach to help women embrace a life that is limitless through deep mindset transformation, reach out to me. I know that you might be feeling like you’ve had enough, but I can support you to feel like you’re just getting started—with a plan for action.
Though there are many hard things you may need to do to move forward with your life, I have worked with over 500 people to help make the change they’re seeking. The odds are in your favor.
Keep believing in yourself.
