🏃‍♀️ How to Get Unstuck

Hey there! Welcome back to The Flow by Flocus. If you’re new around here, welcome! 👋  You can catch up on our previous editions right here.

This week: We’re sharing a technique from our personal productivity toolbox: the one question you should ask yourself whenever you feel stuck. We’re exploring why this exercise is so powerful, plus more tips for navigating uncertainty. Let’s get into it!

☝️ The 1 Question to Ask Yourself When You’re Stuck

What needs to happen next?

This is an especially good question to ask yourself when you’re feeling lost or uncertain.

Even if you don’t have the info or tools you need to solve a problem or take the next step right now, you can always figure out what action to take next.

This question is also super versatile and applies to:

• 🗓️ Any timeframe — What needs to happen in the next minute, hour, day, month, or year?

• 🤹 Any area of life — What needs to happen next at home, at work, at school?

• 😌 Any desired emotional state — What needs to happen next for me to feel calm / confident / balanced?

🌟 Why It’s So Effective

Asking yourself, “What needs to happen next?” helps you:

• Cope with difficult emotions through stressful times

• Cut through all the noise to the bare necessities of life

• Discover things that no longer serve you or are no longer a priority

• Take the first step toward solving your problems or reaching your goals

• Cultivate the confidence and self-trust needed for your personal growth journey

Now that you know how this prompt can benefit you, let’s take a look at a few things you can do to make it even more effective.

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Now, let's get into the 3 steps for getting unstuck:

🛞 3 Tips for Getting Unstuck

If you’re keen to use this exercise, here are 3 other things you can try alongside it!

🦾 Automate repeating deadlines

When asking yourself, “What needs to happen next?” you’ll almost certainly find some repeating deadlines.

Try to automate as many of these as you can. For example, instead of manually logging in to your bank account to pay your rent or power bill each month, set up an automatic monthly transaction.

Automating the repetitive stuff frees up more of your time and mental bandwidth than you might think!

🪫 Work with your energy levels

On those low-energy days, figuring out what you absolutely have to do next can ensure your limited reserves are being spent in the right places.

And if your energy is totally depleted, you can always adjust your “next up” actions to meet the need with as little effort as possible.

Here are a couple of examples:

• Instead of: “Fold and put away all the laundry” → Try: “Gather and sort clean clothes into piles”

• Instead of: “Work out for an hour” → Try: “Walk around the block”

• Instead of: “Write the report” → Try: “Jot down the key points for the report”

🤸‍♀️ Stay flexible

When contemplating what to do next — especially over a longer timeframe of several months or years — leave a little breathing room for flexibility.

Rigid, self-imposed deadlines can be hard for the average person to stick to, and they also set you up for disappointment. Life is constantly throwing curveballs, and disruptions to your plans are inevitable.

So try not to scout too far ahead, unless you know something important is coming up that you need to work toward — like that important work conference next year, or your graduation ceremony in 2 years.

🪅 Flocus Picks

A curated list of things worth sharing.

• How to Know What You Want to Do With Life (Video) — What should you do if you really don’t know what to do next from a big-picture perspective? In this 20-minute vlog, Lavendaire explores

• 6 Phrases to Get Unstuck from Overthinking & Uncertainty (Podcast) — This episode of Therapy in a Nutshell includes more affirmations and prompts to try

• The Next Hour: Create Space, Make Change (Article) — More ideas on things you can do within the next 60 minutes to make meaningful progress toward your goals

🖥️ Flocus: Your Personal Productivity Dashboard

We’re here to help you navigate life’s curveballs and stay on top of what matters most. From a customizable focus timer to a priority-driven task list, Flocus can help you tackle “what’s next” with ease. Need a breather? Explore serene ambient worlds and soundscapes to reset and recharge.

“What needs to happen next?” — a simple but effective question for reorienting yourself back on your path when you feel lost. It’s also a great way to meet your needs on days when you can’t do much else.

What did you think of this concept? Sound off in the replies!

Until next Sunday,

Flocus Team