Coping Won't Get You Unstuck

When something important stalls, there’s no shortage of ways to cope. Mindfulness. Meditation. A workout. These help you feel better. But you’re still stalled.

Coping manages the stress. It doesn’t remove the obstacle.

What actually gets you moving again is acting, identifying what’s blocking you and doing something about it.

Maybe the next step is too big. Maybe you’re missing something you need. Maybe a worry is draining your energy. Maybe the scope has drifted and you’ve lost clarity on what you’re even trying to finish.

Coping won’t fix any of these. Addressing them will.

Try this

Next time you’re stalled, before reaching for something to help you feel better, ask:

• Is the next step too big? Break it smaller.
• Are you missing something you need? Name it and go get it.
• Is a worry hanging over you? Write it down, assess it, decide on one action.

Example

A freelancer had stalled on writing his newsletter. So he distracted himself by doing a workout and then playing video games. When he finally asked what was actually blocking him, he realized he’d run dry on ideas. Once he faced that, he watched a few webinars from analysts he followed. The ideas came, and so did the newsletter.

From PMEZ’s UNSTUCK approach