Do you feel at times like you’re stuck in mud or molasses?
Unmoving—in life or business?
Perhaps both?
There is one simple trick to get yourself moving forward in the right direction.
In the late 80s, one of the most gruelling jobs I’ve ever held was a position as Hotel Front Desk/Receptionist at a Ramada Inn. It involved greeting and registering arriving guests, as well as answering incoming calls—sometimes all at once. The job demanded multi-tasking skills and the ability to refrain from yelling obscenities when under pressure.
There were times when the multiple phone lines would all ring, while I was in the middle of registering guests, and I would feel scared, STUCK, unmoved, and unable to make a decision whether to pick up the phone, or continue helping the guest in front of me. I felt completely overwhelmed. Albeit momentarily. The same thing would happen whenever all the phone lines would ring all at once.
I dreaded going to work for this reason. But I was stuck in that job that paid well, so I stuck around.
Then one day, I did something that liberated me. I decided to do ONE THING and put the rest in succession. And magically, I felt in control and empowered—from this single action.
This experience stuck with me and taught me the most important lesson, which is this: Take action—no matter how small.
When you feel overwhelmed, unable to move, or stuck, the ONE THING you can do to shake things up is to TAKE ACTION. Send an email. Talk to someone. Do something that relates to what you are stuck on.
Look at all the things you feel you need to do, take the first one that feels right, and take action on it.
Successful people like Marie Forleo swears by this method. She also says:
“Clarity comes from taking action.”
By the way, I took this picture when my family and I got stuck visiting a cave in the Philippines. We had to get off the jeep and walk to the cave, rather than keep trying to move in the vehicle.
What action(s) are you going to take?
