9 Reasons Why You’re Stuck – Part 2

Since we’ve been talking about being stuck, I need to offer up my own guilty confession.  I have been stuck lately and haven’t been producing the blog posts as frequently as I had before…for that, I apologize.

My reason is not even part of the “9 Reasons” … think of it as a bonus reason.

The reason why I didn’t initially include it on the list is because it’s so obvious and so universal.

It’s because of competing priorities.  I have been so busy trying to finish writing my book, that I simply didn’t have enough time, or words, to compose my blogs.  I had to make a choice and I chose the book.

How many times do you put something on the back burner to attend to a raging fire at the moment?  It happens all the time.  The trick is not to forget completely about what’s on the back burner and to promise to give it your full attention once you put out the raging fire.

My raging fire is not completely out, but it is under control enough for me to get back to writing my blog.

Let’s recap the first three reasons from “9 Reasons Why You’re Stuck – Part 1”:

1) In deep denial and delusion

2) Super-comfortable in the comfort zone

3) Lacks a plan

Here are the next 3 reasons why you’re stuck:

4) Fear of Success/Failure

Fear of success and failure are the opposite sides of the same coin.  It’s the “what ifs”, the unknown outcomes, that keep people stuck.

“What if I succeed?” I’ll have to live up to even higher expectations. There will be more demands on my life. People will eventually find out I have no idea what I’m talking about. I’ll have greater responsibilities and stress. No thank you!

“What if I fail?” Then everyone will think I’m a loser. I’ll be so disappointed I won’t be able to get out of bed. I don’t have a Plan B and won’t know what to do next. It’ll be so embarrassing to fall flat on my face…I couldn’t bear it. No thank you!

5) Full of Pride

Pride can be healthy and helpful but it can also be hurtful and keep you stuck.

Pride keeps a lot of job seekers from conducting a proactive and successful job search. It’s critical to follow-up with the hiring manager after applying for a position but most job seekers don’t … due to pride.

Here’s a staggering statistic … 75% of people never, ever follow-up.  Following up throughout the process is the easiest way to stand out from your competition. However, most people don’t do it because they feel the hiring manager should be so blown away by their resume and qualifications, that they should take the next step to schedule the interview.  That’s pride getting in the way.

Everyone allows pride to get in the way to a certain degree when it comes to asking for help.  No one wants to admit they don’t know the answer, need help, or can’t do the job.  Pride often keeps people from getting the real help they need.

6) In a Panic

A confused mind will always say no. It’s really hard to make the right move when your mind is racing and you’re in a complete panic.

That’s why panic leads to paralysis.  You simply don’t know what move to make or what action to take.

When it comes to getting unstuck and moving forward in the right direction, you always want to operate from a position of power, not panic.  You want to be thinking clearly, and not acting impulsively.  Calming down is often the first step in getting unstuck.

We are always going to get stuck at some point.  It’s human nature.  Whether it’s due to competing priorities or fear of success, there is always a reason why you’re not taking action at the moment.  Once you identify the reason, it’s much easier to find a solution.

Get in touch and get unstuck!