When I’m coaching with someone - and when I’m being coached - there can often be a sense of stuckness.

We know what we need to do to move forward.

To get closer to where we want to be.

And yet, we don’t do it.

Sometimes we can be stuck with our foot on the brake, teetering on the edge of a step. Worried about making a mistake or going in the wrong direction.

Sometimes we can be stuck with our foot on the accelerator, not daring to slow down because we think we don’t have time. Scared that if we stop things could fall apart.

In the worst cases, it’s both. Pulling us in different directions and adding to the overwhelm.

It’s so easy to find ourselves here. Stuck between speeding up, and slowing down.

So how do we notice where we are and get unstuck?

The first - and most important - step is to notice what’s going on inside you. Are you going too slow and resisting getting started? Are you going too fast and resisting stopping to pause?

The next is to take a moment to put yourself in neutral. Just neutral.

If you have the brake on you don’t need to rush into action. If you’re going super fast you don’t need to slam on the brakes. Your only job is to take your foot off the brake or accelerator for a moment.

It’s easier to work out what’s next from this place.

Over time I’ve learned what can help me come back to neutral:

Closing my eyes. A game changer which takes out a sense.
Getting outside. My feet are my friends and it clears my head.
Writing it out. Emptying my head onto a page, even for 2 minutes.
Remembering why. Connecting with the big picture puts the next step in context.
A visual cue. I love a post-it! My favourite is this one :-)

Each of us will have our own simple steps that can help us pause and put ourselves into neutral.

The trick is to find the menu of options to choose from when you need them.

And always, always, remembering that it’s completely normal to get stuck.

Especially if you’re wanting to make a change, especially if you’re trying to do things differently.

We feel stuck because we want to grow, and growing takes energy :-)

Wishing you all a week of calm growth,