I’m stuck right now.  I’ve been stuck in several ways.  I thought you might be stuck too and you might find it useful to learn how I get unstuck.

How I’m Stuck As I Write This Now

We can all get stuck in various ways; sometimes, multiple things might contribute to being stuck.  I’m feeling that now and thought it might help to share how I’m stuck:

  • I’m stuck writing marketing material for a new leadership coaching business. 
  • I’m stuck wondering how I can better prepare my family’s home in Orlando for another hurricane (It’s almost a month after Hurricane Milton as I write this and Tropical Storm Rafael is now moving through the Carribean).
  • I’m stuck wondering what will happen in today's presidential election and its impact on my country.
  • Since I’m also doing career coaching, I’m also stuck on offering options to a few clients with medical challenges that redefine what is possible for them.

None of these lead to easy solutions.  The combination feels like an impenetrable barrier.  Multiple things at work or life may be pulling you in several difficult directions. Do you ever feel this stuck?

It reminds me of a video my son Justin shared of practicing his off-road driving hobby. You move along and then ... you're stuck.

Earlier, I described this stuck-ness to a friend and they asked how I usually get unstuck.  I face-palmed because I have ways to get unstuck. Let me share the approach that becomes a default reaction.

The Get ‘er Done Approach to Unstuck

In the southern USA, “Get ‘er Done” describes getting through a difficult spot.  You may know it as “powering through” or “fake it until you make it." You push as hard as possible until you get through the other side.  My son Justin demonstrates in this video of driving through a rural Florida road where you can easily get stuck.

Notice how the car looks slightly out of control but yet maintains a high speed to get through the muck?  If you go slow, you WILL get stuck.  If you careen through, you will likely get through. But that success is not always guaranteed.

My unique approach to powering through a problem is using the rule of three options.  Normally, I do this for clients when they ask for advice and I just want to show possibilities. But when I'm stuck, I’m trying to come up with three options for me.  If one idea doesn’t work, I already brainstormed other approaches to try.  This also means I’m not locked into a single solution that may keep me stuck.

In my experience, two types of people find "powering through" appealing: those early in their careers and leaders who have successfully powered through many situations.  They may have been applauded for powering through. These leaders may not always realize the consequences of their “powering through” for others. Pushing hard might damage the flow of work, or worse, relationships.

And this approach to powering through may not lead to successfully achieving the goal. You may have too many sticky situations at one time. You may end up more stuck by forcing a solution. (I described some of these outcomes in my last post.)

That leads to another less obvious approach I'll share next time.