Are you clear?

Have you experienced those times when you know you want to act on something, but you just can’t seem to do it? Maybe it’s work-related, a personal task, a fitness goal. it could be anything.

Last year I found myself here a lot. I’m typically proactive and positive, so it was really alien when I found myself stuck, and I mean consistently and repeatedly stuck!

All the conditions were right. I had some (rare) time to focus. I thought I knew what I had to do. But I found myself procrastinating. Even when I tried, nothing happened, and I couldn’t seem to break through the feeling of inertia to do what needed to be done.

I was lucky that my company sponsored me to work with a coach for 3 months. That coach helped me uncover the insight I’m sharing with you now, through the question:

“Are you clear what you’re trying to achieve?”

If your answer is “I think so” or anything less than “absolutely”, this could be your key to getting unstuck.

Lack of clarity causes procrastination

Think about it. If you knew exactly what you needed to do, and how, you would be able to get on with it.

Perhaps your goal is so vague, you don’t know where to start. If the task is too big, it can feel overwhelming. Perhaps you need someone else to act, or they have set the goal without giving you clarity.

Try this

So next time you’re feeling stuck, stop and ask yourself “What can I do to get clarity on my next step?” followed by “What is in my control, now?

I’m so intrigued by our inability to act despite wanting to, that I studied it for my recent dissertation (more on that in future posts).

Please share your experiences in the comments; whether you’re stuck now, whether you have found a way to break through, or can share what happened when you tried out the two questions above.

And remember, everything is temporary!