Get Unstuck

Have you ever seen a car stuck in the mud or snow? The tires spin furiously, but the vehicle goes nowhere. It digs itself deeper like it is in quicksand. Is there any hope to get out? Of course there is. I don’t know of any cars that have been abandoned forever because they are stuck in a rut. When we are feeling stuck and not making progress it can be just as frustrating. Hearing those tires spin and not gaining traction is enough to make you want to cry. So how do we get unstuck?

Recognize first that you will get unstuck, you only need to find out how. You will not be stuck forever, so focus on trying things that might get you unstuck. One of them is going to work. This may take time, so be patient and take deep breaths. Some things will work better than others, but pushing the accelerator to maximum will not work. It will burn a lot of fuel and it is not likely to succeed.

Are you going in the right direction? Examine the problem carefully. Are you trying to go forward when it is easier to go backward? We can drive into a dead end and be trapped trying not to back up and start over. Just like hitting the dead end in a maze, we might need to retrace our steps. Maybe we decided that we should exercise in the mornings, but it’s just not working out. Rather than trying harder, we might benefit from rethinking some of the choices we’ve made in the past. Maybe we’ll do better in the evening.

Can we build momentum over time? We might not be able to get all the way out with one big move, but can we go a little further each time? We can drive forward until we stop, then roll backward and add another push. Just like swinging on a swing set we add a little bit more speed each time through. Incremental progress is the way to go! We can meditate for 60 seconds, just a handful of deep breaths, and then move on with our day. Adding a little more each time is a lot less frustrating than trying to dedicate ourselves to 15 minutes per day.

Maybe our tires just can’t make contact with solid ground. We might need to put some wooden boards down to help ourselves out. In yoga, this can mean props and other aids. Use a wall or a chair to steady your balance. Use blocks and straps or blankets to extend your reach. Put a bolster or a pillow under your hips or legs to assist you.

Do you need a friend to give you a push? Sometimes it’s just easier to have someone there to help you! They might help you keep a schedule, give you advice, or just be present to watch you do what is needed. Often we will find that we can motivate ourselves to help others easier than it is to help ourselves. Reach out for encouragement either among your circle of friends, or sometimes it’s easier to get help from strangers to get you unstuck! They might be the ones with a tow rope.