You look around and see people celebrating their victories. You have witnessed how your friends advanced well in their respective careers. You have observed that everything they have worked hard for finally paid off. You celebrate with them. You are happy for them.

But deep inside you, it hits different. 

It seems like you're way behind the race.  

You feel stuck.

Being "stuck" is an awful situation. You want something badly - promotion, relationship, a specific goal - but then you lose the drive to get anywhere near it. It can be sleepless nights thinking about what could be better or different. It can be a condition wherein you know what needs to be done but you don't have the power to do it. 

It saps the joy out of you.

Remember that this is not permanent

Being "stuck" is a situation, not a life sentence. Perhaps the feeling that clouds your emotion is just a "feeling". When things are not going well for you, remember that it will not be permanent. They say life is like a wheel, round and round it goes. Wait for your opportunity, and grab it when it comes! Until then, continue what you're doing. Improve yourself. Keep on pushing forward towards your goal. And as soon as you get "unstuck", give it your best shot!

Acknowledge your season

Similar to what's mentioned above, we have to remember that people go through seasons. The book of Ecclesiastes reminds us that "there is a time for everything, a season for every activity under the heavens". It goes on to say "a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance". Your friends have just entered their season of victories, but we have no idea of the season of failures and disappointments they might have faced. Acknowledge your season, and soon your time will come. Be prepared for it. 

Run your race

Instead of thinking of others as competitors, think of them as standards, or models. Learn from their mistakes, listen to their insights. If we keep on swerving towards their lane we will miss out a lot. Don't focus on the journey of others. Focus on your race instead. Their prize is not your prize. Comparison is the thief of joy. Celebrate their wins but don't consider them as enemies. Life is better if we have friends to cheer us up than enemies pulling us down. 

Identify what you want

One reason why we make little progress is that we can't focus. We do things that pique our interests. While there is nothing wrong with it, failure to focus takes away much of our precious time that should have been spent on what's important. Instead of specializing, we become a jack-of-all-trades but a master of none. Worse, we do things as we're being influenced by fad, by what we see from others, and not by what we want. To avoid this, identify what you want. Focus on it. Exhaust your efforts on it. Don't let distractions exhaust your precious energy and resources. 

Focus on self-care

Lastly, when you feel stuck, perhaps it's because you're focusing too much on work and productivity that you have failed to take care of yourself. The "stuck" feeling may be dealt with by an extended rest and a time off for yourself. Have a massage. Go on trips. Do things that will relax your body and your mind. Doing such will help clear out your thoughts and you can get back on your race with enthusiasm. Self-care is not selfish! Don't go on without it!

May these tips be of great help to you. Keep on pushing for your dreams!

Promotion!

I would like to promote my ebooks that you can purchase with BCH! Other payment options are still in process. 

• Magplano Kahit Walang Planner

• Beyond Current Realities

• Get them both! Magplano Kahit Walang Planner + Beyond Current Realities

These ebooks are written in Taglish and proceeds will go directly to my wedding fund, yay! My ebooks are worth Php50.00 (~$1.00) but if you get both, you'll get them for just Php90.00 (less than $2.00). Thank you!

Hi, I am Marts! Aside from read.cash, I also run my blog - martsvalenzuela.com. I plan on growing my readership while learning to improve my craft and journey towards my passion to write and publish books that add value to people.

Carpe Diem!