Have you ever gotten stuck working on a project, and couldn’t figure out how to move forward? Whether it’s your website or another business project, we all get into situations where we aren’t sure what to do next.
It’s easy to get frustrated or discouraged when this happens. Or when things aren’t progressing as quickly as we’d like them to. Fortunately, I’ve learned a few things in my 17 years as an entrepreneur about how to get past these roadblocks. You don’t have to stay stuck or stranded!
One of the most important things I tell my students is to “just keep moving forward”. Recently, I got stuck on a website I was building. Yes, even *I* get stuck sometimes when building a website. See the story below and the video on how I got unstuck when creating that new website. Then check out my top 6 tips below on what to do when this happens to you.
My Recent Situation with Getting Stuck
A few months ago, I decided to move all the recipes on my personal blog to a new website: Christina’s Recipes. The purpose of my new site is to preserve and document favorite recipes that I’ve invented and from my family members.
I found a Divi Layout pack I liked and installed it on my new site. There were so many things I needed to do – change the categories, add images to posts, hook up my email subscription newsletter, decide on the menu. I was ready to go live but didn’t know what to do next.
So while I built the website, I decided to document my steps with the intention of helping other entrepreneurs and business owners like you. The video below walks you through my process of getting unstuck…
Top 6 Tips for Getting Unstuck
Tip #1 – Take a Break and do Another Unrelated Task
Step away from your project for a few minutes or a few hours. Do another easy, unrelated task. Like laundry, making dinner, or walking the dog. Then return to your work. The brain break may be just what you need to figure things out.
Tip #2 – Work on the Things You Know You Need to Do
This is the method I used in my video. I had blocked out time to work on my website and wanted to get something accomplished. Though I was stuck on what to do next on my homepage, I knew I could go ahead and convert all the other recipes to my new format. By working on another aspect of the project, you may gain clarity on what had you stuck before.
Tip #3 – Take a Few Days Off
Sometimes, leaving something for a few days allows you to see it from a fresh perspective when you get back to it. Your brain will continue to work on the problem in your subconscious, even while you’re doing something else. However, I don’t recommend taking too much time off, or you may lose momentum and have trouble restarting.
Tip #4 – Seek Advice in a Community Group
Maybe you’re part of a virtual or face-to-face group of people who are working in the same industry or on the same project that you are. Ask them for help. One of them may have been stuck in the same place and learned how to get through it.
Tip #5 – Seek Advice from an Expert
If you’re still stuck after trying the tips above, you may need expert help. Both the Website Creation Workshop and the Website Marketing Workshop are examples of utilizing outside help to build or market your website. During our group coaching calls, we help you get past being stuck by giving you new ideas or working through any issue you have. We help our students step-by-step through the process of building and marketing their own website.
Tip #6 – Look for Inspiration Outside of Yourself
You can’t work in a vacuum. So step outside of yourself and look around. Depending on what you’re working on, you can seek inspiration online from other websites. Visit other websites related to your industry. Not to take their ideas, but to get a fresh perspective on things.
Final Thoughts
We’re only human, so it’s not always going to be smooth sailing in life and business. There are always challenges and decisions along the way. This is what makes life interesting and exciting. Remember my blog post on What Success Really Looks Like? Even successful people get stuck!
Websites, projects, and other business endeavors may look messy in the journey to completion. It’s okay to have a work in progress. No matter what project you have going on right now, embrace the “stuck”. Think of it as a learning opportunity.
The next time you get stuck, try one of my tips above. And remember to always, always keep moving forward.
Share any other tips you have for what to do when you get stuck in the comments below!
