So you feel stuck. Maybe you’ve had that project on your to-do list for months and just can’t seem to start. Perhaps you keep going back to the same bad habit: junk food, porn, smoking, etc. Heck, maybe your life just doesn’t feel like it’s going anywhere, and you feel in your bones that you’re meant for more.

I know how you feel. Everyone gets stuck at some point, to one degree or another. But not everybody gets free. In fact, most people don’t. 

I don’t want you to be one of those people. That’s why I’m going to share 7 daily habits that will help you get momentum in your day, your week, and your life in general. These helped me go from homelessness to a successful business career, so I know they can help you.

#1 Get Clear

When I say “get clear”, I mean gain as much clarity as possible on why you feel stuck, where specifically you feel stuck, and what you think it would look like to be unstuck. 

It’s weird, but most of us haven’t identified what we actually want. We have a general sense of discontentment, but until we identify what’s missing, we have nothing to work towards. If we don’t work towards something, we can’t expect things to get better. That’s why the first thing you need to do when you feel stuck is to label why, where, and what. 

When identifying why and where, just start listing symptoms. Don’t hold back any reasons, just get them all on a sheet of paper in front of you. After you’ve done that, walk away from the list for a little while. Take a break and forget about it. Then, come back to the list, and read the list as if it’s someone else’s list, not yours. Then, answer the following questions:

• What patterns do you notice? 
• Are there any particular fixations?
• How would you categorize each complaint in the 8 Pillars of Life? 
• Which of the 8 Pillars has the most complaints?
• How would you encourage this person, if they were your friend?
• What would you tell someone else to do, if they were in your situation?

#2 Get Focused

After you’ve identified why and where you feel stuck, you’ll need to determine what to do about it. You’ll have some ideas just from doing the exercise above, but the real battle plan will come together after you’ve identified where it is you want to go. 

For tips to get started, simply focus on what it would look like if you were experiencing the opposite of all your complaints. I’d encourage you to be very specific here. Write five sentences minimum on the positive opposite of every negative thing you wrote down. Describe each happy situation with all five of your senses.

Finally, work your way backwards from these happy final destinations. What would a person have to do in order to get there? Again, be as specific and thorough as you can. If you aren’t sure about a step, right it down anyway. If there seems like a major gap, draw a big circle around it. The gaps are massive indicators of the right questions you should be asking yourself and of the rocks you need to overturn for your next steps.

#3 Decide

Here’s the catch before we continue. If you’ve done the exercises in #1 and #2,  then at this point you will have a pretty extensive list of goals and next steps. This is great, but it will likely feel intimidating, maybe even overwhelming. This is when you’ll need to decide which of those goals and outcomes are most important to you, and whether or not you’re willing to pay the price to get them.

It’s better to admit to yourself that you don’t want something bad enough than to kid yourself, make a half-hearted effort to get it, fail, and then be left with the frustration of failure. Don’t get me wrong, mistakes are inevitable, and you will not be perfect in your journey. That’s ok. But unless you’re willing to be all in on a goal, it’s unlikely you’ll achieve it. 

#4 Start Small

I recommend picking 1-2 goals and setting the others aside until you achieve them. It’s hard enough accomplishing one serious goal, let alone multiple at one time. Momentum is crucial when you feel stuck, and small milestones keep that going. So when you feel stuck, don’t overwhelm yourself. 

#5 Eliminate Distractions

Given the loud, flashy, and fast-paced world we live in, there’s a good chance that you’re currently wasting time every day in distractions. You’re probably aware of this. In fact, I bet a lot of your goals revolve around making better use of your time every day and replacing habits that waste it.

If this is you, I have a few things to say. First, you deserve credit for acknowledging the problem. Second, focus on eliminating 1-2 distractions at a time. No more. Third, make sure you find a positive replacement for your distraction. If it’s TV, try reading. If it’s sugar, try fruit or meat. The more tangible the replacement is, the easier it will be to transition out of distractions. 

#6 Implement Routines

Five and six are almost two sides of the same coin when you feel stuck. The reality is that we are driven by our habits. Therefore, when things aren’t going well, we need to change our habits, one at a time. A routine is just a habit that corresponds with a recurring event or specific time. Routines are massively important. They create a sense of accomplishment and develop your discipline. Many of your goals will require routines, and the bigger the goal, the more true this is.

#7 Get Mentorship

Accountability is so massive, and guidance from someone farther along than you is even better. Mentors can provide both. Here’s the thing about mentors: they want to invest in people who show signs that they’re a good investment. By being the kind of person that follows steps 1-6, you will make a solid case for being a good investment to potential mentors. 

A mentor will help you identify blindspots, answer many of your most pressing questions, and give you more of the right questions you should be asking. Mentors also help you define where you want to go, which is always what you want to focus on. 

Never Feel Stuck Again. Get Help From The Journey Principles Institute.

I started the Journey Principles Institute because I want people to be released into their full calling and potential. Our team spends a lot of time creating resources that will help you on your journey to greatness, and right now we’re giving away some of those for free.

Click here to see our eBook library. Right now you can get any and all of them free of charge. Download as many as you like, and get the practical advice you need to go from stuck to unstoppable.