Three Simple Steps

Overcoming hesitation and avoidance to get unstuck.

I was stuck.

This is how I got unstuck.

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

Since starting this newsletter, my energy and inspiration have been extraordinary. Every day the ideas have been flowing.

That is until yesterday.

Nothing was coming.

My

mind

was

blank.

We’ve all been there, feeling the pressure to get something done.

It is especially true for essential things like following through on my commitment to write something for you daily.

It can create uncertainty for us and causes us to avoid, distract, and procrastinate.

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Here are three simple things I did to get unstuck.

1. Fashion a focused space.

   I like to sit down at my desk and shut out all distractions. I shut down social media, straightened my desk, and put on noise-canceling headphones to eliminate outside distractions as well as the distraction of clutter.

   Then I commit to 25 minutes of uninterrupted time working exclusively on (in this case) the article. I use the Pomodoro technique. You can read about it here.

   In short, it is 25 minutes of focused work followed by a 5-minute break and then repeated as many times as you want.

   By eliminating all distractions, I make headway which gives me energy and motivation to keep going.

   It also helps that this isn’t 6 hours of commitment. That seems so big.

   I’m only in for 25 minutes. It is incredible how quickly that goes by when you work intensely on something.

2. Meditate on meaning & acknowledge feelings.

   Your response to the newsletter has been more than I dreamed it would be.

   At the beginning of my Pomodoro, I connected with what I was feeling. It turns out the very thing I was excited about was making me anxious.

   Suddenly I was feeling pressure to produce a ‘great’ article. Spending those moments in mediation (and, for me, prayer) helped me release my attachment to the outcome.

   I gave myself permission to write what I call a ‘terrible’ version. Whatever I wrote was okay so long as I started writing.

3. Do the smallest next step.

   The smallest step for me at times is simply opening the app or Word. Whatever you can do that is small and creates no fear, anxiety, or pressure.

   I will sometimes just commit to opening Word and then walk away to let the emotion drawdown.

I wrote yesterday’s article on Shu Ha Ri using this method with love and appreciation for all of you.

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🌀 Reflection:

🌱 I created a focused space that enabled me to write.

🌱 I connected with the reason this was important to me as well as the feelings that were holding me back.

🌱 I gave myself enough grace to start small with no attachment to the outcome.