Writing Prompt – Getting Unstuck

This week’s writing prompt is about getting unstuck. Sometimes, we get stuck, and we’re not sure how to move forward. By taking some time to look back and think about times you’ve succeeded in the past can help you find success now. Understanding your past successes help you understand your strengths to move forward. You may also find where you might be relying too much on your past successes. Let’s dig a little deeper.

First, think about a time that you were successful at something. Maybe even more than once. Ask yourself questions about that time. Ask questions like… What were you trying to accomplish? What things have you been successful at? How did you find success? What did you do? What mindset did you have? Were you working with somebody in particular? Why do you think you were successful? When did this happen? What else was happening in your life at the same time? Really think about your success and ask yourself these questions, and even more. Dig deep, really try to understand them. Make sure to write them in your journal.

Now that you’ve done this, look for patterns that can help you in what you’re trying to accomplish now. Were there mindsets that you can apply to what you’re trying to do now? Were you focused? Were you relaxed? Did you have certain feelings about what you were doing? Were there certain people that helped you? Were there certain people in certain roles that helped you like coaches or parents or friends? Did you devote more energy and time to your goal than you are now? What things do you notice that could help you now? How can your past self inspire and help your present self?

Sometimes, we rely too much on our past successes to allow ourselves to grow. We might think that what got us through something in the past will work for what we’re trying to get through now, and maybe it won’t work for us now. Maybe we’re unable to let go of past successes, and so those hold us back in the present. There might be ideas and actions that have been helpful for you in the past that you find aren’t helpful now because things have changed. Are you stuck because you’re holding onto old ideas, actions, or habits that might have helped you before, but that don’t help you as much now? It’s not that they were bad, it’s just that what helped you before may not be applicable now, and so you may be stuck because of that.

You can find ways to become unstuck by examining your own successes. If you’re uncertain where to start, ask a friend or family member about a time that you’ve been successful. Make sure that when you write this, it’s about YOU. We’ve examined the lives of others in a previous writing prompt. This time, you’re looking to your own life for inspiration. You have it in you, I know you do.