013 How to get unstuck and help others get unstuck

From time to time we all get stuck—unmotivated to get going in life. This episode explores how to get unstuck and how to help a friend get unstuck.

In this episode Leary and Armin pick up the discussion from the last episode, How to know if you’re stuck. They discuss the four things you should check when you’re stuck.

1. Your physical condition. The first thing you should examine is how fatigue may be taking hold. Have you gotten sufficient rest, exercise and eaten a consistently healthy diet?


2. Your environment. A cluttered environment can leave you feeling overwhelmed with life. Does the space you inhabit energize or deplete you?


3. Your mention condition. The habitual thoughts you have about yourself or others may prevent you from moving forward. Are you practicing gratitude and intentional forgetfulness?


4. Your personal vision. Cultivating a personal vision for your life takes intentionality. Are you setting aside time to consider your future? This is the exclusive subject of our next episode.

To help another get unstuck, think about how to be fully relational with them by practicing the roles found within a family. This was the approach the apostle Paul took in 1 Thessalonians 2. Think about how you can be:

A mother to them,  demonstrating God’s unconditional love, by listening and helping them heal their wound.

A father to them, demonstrating God’s blessing, by calling them forth into their future purposes.

A brother (sister) to them, demonstrating God’s abiding presence, by staying engaged and keeping them accountable.

This episode’s Inspire Me quote is from Oliver Wendell Holmes:

“I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving – we must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it – but we must sail, and not drift, nor lie at anchor.”

If you’re stuck, the Challenge Me is to examine the four things listed above and act on the appropriate one. Or, if you have a friend who’s stuck, find a way to act fully relational toward them.

In our next episode, Leary and Armin will explore how to cultivate your personal vision. Please join us and tell a friend.

Resources mentioned or related to this podcast that may be helpful to you:

• Philippians 3:13-14, the apostle Paul describing intentional forgetfulness


• When it’s time to fire yourself, Leary Gates, blog post


• Has excellence got you down?, Leary Gates, blog post