How to Overcome Stagnation

Ever feel stuck – like you’re going nowhere in life? Ever felt like everyone and everything is just passing you by? Does it make you feel powerless? 

Many, if not all, of us have had this feeling at some point in our lives; this is often referred to as Stagnation. It is what happens when you reach a point in your life where you feel unsure of what you want to do and where you want to go. As a result, you don’t move at all – neither backwards nor forwards. Needless to say, this can be quite frustrating and dejecting. 

The BIG question is what you do about it when it happens. How do you overcome Stagnation? 

If you’ve ever felt stuck, this article will help to raise your awareness to the symptoms and provide some valuable insights of how you can beat this success-debilitating disease.

 

Symptoms of stagnation

• Lack of focus – this is one of the first conditions that strike when stagnation sets in; you lose your center and begin to feel scattered in your thoughts. You no longer have a grasp of what you are doing or where you are going; your goal seems far away and blurry. 

• Indecisiveness – with lack of focus there is always indecision and confusion; every choice seems way too risky or impossible. You are unable to make good decisions because you don’t even know what your target is.

• Doubt – this is a major roadblock in any success plan; when you lack belief, it’s very difficult to achieve the results you desire. If you do not possess the confidence to move forward, you will be unable to accomplish your goals. Doubt can easily paralyze you.

• Hopelessness – where there is doubt, soon follows the lack of hope for the future. Stagnation demands that you are devoid of all hope of success – no aspiration for something greater than yourself. 

• Cynicism – all these symptoms breed negativity in a BIG way. When you are stagnant, it is easy to start believing that good things only happen to certain people but not to you. It also makes you skeptical of everyone else’s success; it makes you feel like only the lucky ones get the prize but poor saps like you get royally screwed by everyone and everything.

• Depression – ultimately, once you’re experiencing all the above, you tend to be down way more often than you’re up. You lack the energy and the desire to do anything progressive. Depression makes you feel like you don’t even want to bother trying. This is the ultimate success killer and it can really take you down if you are unaware of its presence. It can happen in mini bouts; these are the ones you have to be very careful of. 

You may see these symptoms categorized differently but these are basically the 6 major ones to be aware of. Once you understand the symptoms of stagnation, it will be easier for you to recognize when it is happening to you. This way, you can put a stop to it sooner rather than later – or before it is too late. 

How about a cure for this terrible affliction? 

My experience is that there are basically 5 ways you can overcome stagnation. Any one or a combination of these valuable practices will help alleviate your stuck-ness.

 

1.    Re-evaluate your core values

When stagnation sets in, one of the first things you should do is make sure that your core values are in tact. This is a good time to review your principles – the way you live your life. Make sure that the values you live by are still the ones you want to continue living by. 

More importantly, make sure that you have been living a life that is in line with your core values. More often than not, your core values are in good shape; however, the way you have been living may have fallen out of line. 

Be honest with yourself; look hard at the choices that you’ve made. Remember that you have what you have and you are where you are because of the choices that you’ve made. The reason to study this is to pinpoint those choices that were made without consulting your blueprint – your core values. 

We’ve all made decisions like this one – I know I have. It is usually the emotional and impulsive decisions. The point of this exercise is to understand that you made these choices and that you can live with the consequences. Furthermore, you can learn from the outcome of those choices. That is why we make mistakes – so we can learn and grow from them. 

The fact is that if you make it a point to re-evaluate your core values from time to time; you can possibly ward off stagnation all together.

 

2.  Redefine your mission

Another step to overcoming stagnation is to redefine your mission. Often times we hit roadblocks because we lose sight of the goal. Somewhere along the way to the target, we fall off track. This is perfectly normal – you can’t predict every occurrence; however, you can be prepared for anything by being proactive. 

Review your mission to make sure that it is still what you want to achieve. Make sure that your intent is in line with that mission. Sometimes our intent changes on the journey; something else becomes more important than the mission you started out to accomplish. That is also ok – just make sure that your mission still lights a fire in your belly. 

Your mission defines the goal and drives the actions you must take to achieve it. If this is not crystal clear then your actions will be equally muddled. It will be difficult for you to achieve the results you desire if you are not absolutely certain about your intent.

 

3.  Change your mission

If you attempt to redefine your mission and find that it is no longer what you desire; perhaps it’s time to consider changing it. This is often difficult for people to do because they view it as starting over. 

The main thing to realize in this case is that changing your mission is moving forward and not backward. Whenever you move on to something new and especially if it’s better – this is making progress. Sometimes in order to achieve our goals, we have to completely change our mission. 

This goes back to the scenario of something else becoming more important than the mission you initially set out to accomplish. Remember that sometimes, it takes one road to lead you to the road of your true purpose. It’s ok for one mission to run its course in your life so that you can embark on a newer and greater challenge. 

There was a time in my life when all I wanted to be was a rapper/producer and I was heavily involved in the music industry. I truly loved what I was doing. After that I discovered my love for public speaking and ultimately creating this blog which led me to my true purpose in life. My mission has changed a few times; however, my ultimate goal has always been to help others grow; to find their voice. I have sought to do that in all my roles thus far and this is what I truly enjoy. 

I hope that made the point for you.

 

4.  Change your circle

Many times, the people we choose to hang out with is the reason we feel held back; causing stagnation in our lives. This is definitely a hard one; however, sometimes you just have to change your circle. 

In some cases it could simply mean that you change the way you interact with someone. In others, though it may seem harsh, it may be time to end the relationship all together. This is especially difficult when you truly like or love someone. My experience is that although this is hard, when the choice is made for the right reasons with the right intent, it has always been worth it. 

I have been here a couple of times so I appreciate the emotional difficulty of this situation – I truly empathize. 

The point is that there are times in our lives when our friends are not moving in the same direction we are and in order to achieve our goals, we simply have to go our own way. Stagnation often envelops the people you are most often with. If your choices are often tied to your circle, make sure your circle is aligned with your true desires otherwise you will have to move on at some point if you want to cure your stagnation.

 

5.  Take a different route

Detour ahead… sometimes it is as simple as taking that left turn at Albuquerque. (If you didn’t get that… go watch Bugs Bunny) 

Sometimes the cure for stagnation is simply to go in a different direction. Perhaps the way you’ve been going has too many roadblocks and you may just need to turn left instead of right. Many times, this opens up new avenues of pursuit that propel you to your goal. 

There is no rule that says you can’t change route mid-stride; it is your journey and you can get to your destination any way you choose. The path of least resistance is always best, just ask Deepak Chopra. 

The point is when life throws you a curve; you should take it because if you keep going straight you’ll probably crash into something solid like a brick wall. 

Seriously, don’t be afraid to change directions; another route may be the thing you need to get you out of the mud. 

Now that you know the cure… what are you going to do about it?

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