Overcome Stagnation

Every step leads to a destination

Much like pond scum, we hover over the rut we live in like flies. It is time to release some well-deserved fresh air in your life. Small changes over time equal great payoffs. Whether in health, finances, opportunities, or cognitive flexibility, you’ll find yourself moving through the muck of life with more energy, positive zeal, and motivation for personal growth.

Comfortable does not equal growth; while growth can be comfortable. Perspective dictates what your mind will accept. You can grow, challenge yourself to grow further, and then become comfortable with ideas creating a constant effort to improve yourself. You no longer have to feel like you live in a rut, or ride the high ridges of a mudding trail used by 4-Wheel Drive fanatics.

The time to take action to fix any stagnated problem starts today. You’ll first want to identify the areas of your life that feel “off.”

Spend some time in reflection. Think about a few things or areas, which bother you, and see if you can pinpoint a specific reason for each item. Once you see what the problem is or where it originates, you’ll find a solution.

Having a goal

The big picture is completed by small goals, completed, acknowledged, and rewarded. When you focus your energy on accomplishing goals, even the mini-goals to get to larger projects, you’ll feel productive. When you have a purpose for your actions, you’ll begin to see those little steps as important building blocks for your end goal. Your life won’t seem so stale when you have your end goal in mind at every phase of your plan.

Here are some tips for setting goals:

• Make your goals attainable. If you have lofty goals, break them up into smaller pieces.
• Write your goals down on paper and keep them handy.
• Always state your goals in a positive fashion (i.e. “I will be free of smoke…” instead of: “I will stop smoking…”)
• Be as detailed as you can when planning out your goals step by step.
• Fight the urge to procrastinate.

. . .

Take uncomfortable, focused action

Once you’ve discovered the areas of your life which need changing, and you have goals in mind, it’s time to take action. When things have hit a point of stagnation you know something has to change.

Unless you take uncomfortable action, you’ll spend your time wasting away. If you spend all of your time planning, you’ll never accomplish anything. If you worry about the future, right now, or yesterday, you’ll stay stuck. If you plan, and only plan, you’ll not move forward.

Uncomfortable action means you get up and out of your comfort zone and decide to make changes. Have you ever wanted to Netflix and chill after a long day, and instead you worked out because you made a goal to do so? Afterward, you felt accomplished, right?

The moment between want and action is where the magic lies.

. . .

Here are some strategies to keep in mind as you put your goals into action:

Don’t hold yourself back

If you already know what’s holding you back, it’s time to fix the problem so you can take action. Is fear holding you back? Fear, real or imagined is enough to stop most people. To overcome fear, one needs to habituate toward the fear. Whatever it is, if you face it in small increments, you’ll build resistance to whatever holds you hostage.

For instance, if you find public speaking a challenge, start with family and friends. Once you feel stronger, try a Toastmasters speaking group. Right now there are quite a few online groups, which I have attended and found to be encouraging and supportive for beginner to advanced speakers.

Once you spend time speaking to a few people, you’ll be able to build up to a group. As you master the fear and habituate, you’ll become confident and stronger. Each time you overcome fear in this fashion, you’ll feel empowered for the next fear. Remember, a life full of stagnation because of fear will do more harm than good.

Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash

Be consistent

Many people will crack down on changing their life and then drift back into a world of stagnation. Once you’ve started to take action, make sure it’s consistent action. Our brains like what is comfortable. Each time we push the mind, we get uncomfortable and then habituate toward what we persist in changing. Once we overcome the brain’s resistance, we put into the memory banks the new data.

Consistent efforts reinforce the incoming information and the brain begins to see this is the real deal. With your plan in place, divided up into small pieces, you’ll see different items to accomplish first, second, third, and so forth. Ask yourself what is accomplishable right now to put yourself a positive step closer toward your goal.

Whether you have 10 minutes or an hour, you’ll accomplish movement toward your goal. People don’t realize it is the little acts of accomplishing steps in the process, consistently followed, that help you complete your tasks. They add up.

. . .

Take time to unwind

It’s easy to get excited and eager about your new goals and dreams. The brain needs some downtime. We call it ‘me time’ and what it looks like for you might be totally different for the next person. Schedule downtime, so your brain can reset. The downtime has nothing to do with your project or goal.

The time allows you to disengage from the task so your brain can relax. You need to be able to get a good night’s sleep and rejuvenate your body and mind. Otherwise, you risk physical and mental exhaustion, which will only bring you back to stagnation through burnout.

. . .

Take notes

I carry a small notebook in my purse to write down thoughts as they arise. Even if I do nothing with the notes, I am still logging ideas. Later, the same ideas might help me with a project. Another tool is right on your phone.

Apple phones have a Notes app. I love writing my notes in there. I have saved so many ideas, notes, and actual writings inside of the app. It helps to keep my mind busy when I am waiting. I dislike wasting time, so the notes help me feel productive. (Doctor’s offices, car washes, or the line at Starbucks is a great way to use your note-taking apps or booklets.

Another idea is to take notes of your observations throughout your process and tweak your actions along the way. Doing so will help you figure out what’s working for you and what’s not. Reviewing your plan, revising your plan, and carrying out your plan ensures you will complete tasks, reduce stagnation, and feel productive.

The moment between want and action is where the magic lies.

. . .

Picture Yourself

At the end of each day, picture yourself having broken the chain of stagnation. The visual concept increases the brain’s ability to believe before we achieve. Every opportunity you seek to improve your ability, focus, and movement toward change empowers you to increase the changes.

When you stop moving toward your goals, your brain knows. The immediacy of the brain’s plan is to justify why you allowed yourself to slip. Fight against the justifying mind game. One of the powerful tools to overcoming stagnation is to ink what you want to think. If you ink it, you’ll think it is a phrase I just recently pulled into the forefront when teaching a class on changing mindsets from violence-focused to mature, mindfulness-focused.

. . .

As you move through the different stages of change, remember you’ll accomplish more when you perceive yourself achieving the goals you set. Take uncomfortable action toward change. List the essential areas you need to improve upon, and then get momentum by action.

Small, attainable goals lead to completing large, long-term goals. You’ll feel accomplished, people notice your accomplishments, and the new and improved mindset will help you process life with an optimistic view. Stagnation no longer will hold you back from achieving your goals.

~Just a thought by Pamela

—

This post was previously published on Assemblage.

***

You Might Also Like These From The Good Men Project

Compliments Men Want to Hear More Often

Relationships Aren’t Easy, But They’re Worth It

The One Thing Men Want More Than Sex

..A Man’s Kiss Tells You Everything