Feeling Stuck?: Here Are the Top Reasons Why

If you’re wondering, “Why do I feel stuck?” keep reading.

In this post, you’ll learn that a. you’re not alone, and b. the most common reasons why you may feel stuck.

Feeling stuck sucks. And what’s worst is that must-have component of not knowing what to do next.

You feel stuck, you know you’re not working towards anything important, yet you don’t know what that “important” is, or maybe you know, but you have no idea how to get there.

I feel you.

As I’ve said before, one of the reasons why I started this blog was because I was feeling lost and stuck.

My main mission is to document everything I’m doing to get out of my rut so I can help you as well.

First of all, I want to tell you that feeling stuck is perfectly normal and pretty natural.

Just think about it: imagine if you just kept going and going without ever stopping to tune in with yourself and see if you’re going in the right direction.

As much as this feeling sucks big time, it’s also beneficial.

If you think about it, it’s like our minds and bodies tell us we have to check something, that this direction in which we’re going isn’t the right one.

We’re constantly changing and evolving: it’s ok to change your mind; it’s ok to stop wanting something because you don’t relate to that goal anymore.

Just imagine if these feelings didn’t exist. There would be more astronauts than any other professional out there, right?

I think this is the first step you have to take to stop feeling unstuck: You need to realize it’s ok to feel like this. It happens to everybody.

Understanding this firsthand will help you take it easy and watch things more clearly.

15 Reasons Why You Feel Stuck In Life

There are many reasons why you may feel stuck in life.

1. You don’t know yourself that much. Again, that’s ok. We’re constantly changing.

Every experience we live day after day shapes our personality and perspective. That’s why it’s a great idea to get into the habit of practicing journaling daily.

Writing your thoughts for 5-10 minutes a day can help you understand yourself better, recognize thinking patterns, and get to the root of your feelings.

2. You’re not honest with yourself. We’ve all been guilty of this one. Maybe you’ve told yourself again and again that you love your job and your career because you’re too scared of admitting you’d like to try something new.

3. You’re not connected to your purpose. In my opinion, having no purpose in life is one of the main reasons why you may feel stuck, lost, unmotivated, and lazy. Your purpose is your main goal in life. It guides your decisions regularly, and if you don’t have one, you’ll be drifting.

4. You’re spending time with the wrong people. Your friends and the people you spend the most time with should be aligned with your core values. If you’re hanging out with purposeless and stuck people, sooner than later, you’ll start feeling that way as well.

5. You forgot about your goals. Ugh… this one’s more common than you’d think. It’s possible to get so caught up in everyday life, in your obligations and responsibilities, that you forgot about the big and ambitious goals you had when you were younger.

6. You’re caught up in anxiety. You worry so much about the future that you have analysis paralysis; that means you analyze every outcome before taking action, which wastes a lot of precious time and fills you with fear.

7. You don’t know how to set goals the right way. You’ve spent so much time setting unrealistic goals that you’ve destroyed all your self-confidence, and now you don’t dare to try anything new or challenging. You’re frustrated AND stuck.

8. You’re burnt out and/or plain tired. Yep. You have so much time going, and going, and going that you forgot to rest. Now you’re burnt out and drained, and you ran out of creative ideas a long time ago.

9. You can’t let go of the past. Living with regret for the things you did or didn’t do takes up space in your mind and doesn’t let you move forward.

10. You’re too pessimistic. And you always find a “good” reason not to do the things you want to do.

11. You’re waiting for the “perfect” life to be happy. You keep waiting for milestones to be happy and feel fulfilled. You’re convinced that once you have more money, more knowledge, more anything, you’ll feel satisfied. Sometimes, for some people, this feeling can lead to feeling lost or stuck in life.

12. You compare yourself to others. When you’re too focused on someone else’s accomplishments instead of yours, you find yourself trapped in illusions that make you feel stuck in life.

13. You don’t take responsibility for yourself. And your actions and choices. You keep waiting for something to change or for someone that isn’t you to do something for you.

14. You’re stuck in a useless routine. You’ve been doing the same thing and cultivating the same habits for years. As Albert Einstein once said: “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.”

15. You feel you don’t deserve the things you want. This one hits close to home because it’s one of the main reasons why I’ve felt stuck in the past. If that sounds like you, check out this post about 10 Solid Steps To Stop Feeling Undeserving Of Good Things.

Conclusion

Feeling stuck is completely natural! It doesn’t mean you’re a fraud or a failure. You must know that it’s ok and that it has a solution.

You won’t be stuck forever. In fact, feeling this way can be an advantage: when you feel low and are ready to change your life, you find motivation from within. Because you know how much it sucks to feel stuck, you’ll give it all to find your way.

Check out these posts to find your way out:

And remember:

“The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are” – Unknown