Feeling blocked, unmotivated and uninspired? Part 4 - Open up

Welcome to the final post in my 4 Part mini-series about how to deal with feeling blocked, unmotivated, uninspired or just plain in a rut.  Today's solution is Opening up. This can help you get back on track withe a fresh perspective. 

This final technique to help you break out of stagnation and help you “get out of your head” is to sit down do a brain dump, by either journaling or talking to a trusted person.  
 
The act of opening up and letting the words flow out of your mouth (or onto paper) is one of my favorite power tools for overcoming blocks.  By the mere act of talking to someone about when I am feeling blocked or even writing a journal entry about it, somehow it seems to loosen things up and new ideas, answers and solutions seem to naturally surface.


Let’s look at these two great ways to Open up to reveal a clear path ahead…

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Talk About it
Ever had an AH-HA moment as you were telling a friend about a problem you were facing?
Have you ever noticed that sometimes when you talk to people about what is on your mind, that it seems to engage the brain and you are surprised what comes out of your mouth?  It’s like the answer was just sitting there waiting, to surface from your unconscious.  
It’s true. Sometimes you have to say what’s on your mind and heart to a trusted source like your spouse, a trusted friend, mentor or an empowerment coach,  lift the internal burden and release the blocks within.
By talking about it, your brain kicks into gear and starts to work on the problem.  
When you work with professionals like Mentors or Coaches, they bring to the conversation a special skill known as Power Questions.  These questions can act like keys to a locked door.  These Power Questions are highly beneficial to helping you look at the situation from multiple angles; listen to your inner voice; and can provide powerful insights and definitely help you break out of a mental or emotional block. 
Below I list some good basic power questions you can ask yourself as you journal about where you feel lacking. 

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Journal about it
Sometimes you don’t have access to a trusted person to talk to. Or sometimes, you don’t feel comfortable talking to anyone about what you are blocked about. You may want to try writing or journaling about it.  
There have been plenty of times, when I crawl into bed I find I can’t go to sleep because I am frustrated and feel blocked about something, but everyone in the house is asleep, so I am on my own to deal with what is keeping me awake.  The solution that works well for me is to grab my journal and write about it. 

Usually at 2:24am, and my brain won’t let me sleep, these are the things I journal about:

• What is on my mind
  
• What I am frustrated about
  
• How I might solve this problem
  
• Pondering and writing down ideas or solutions
  
• What emotions do I feel? 
  
• Are you feeling angry, sad, bored, frustrated, excited, happy, nervous, resentful, etc.?
  
• What am I blocked by?
  
• What have you tried to do but feel like you have failed?
  
• What outcome are you not getting to that you wanted?
  
• What is blocking me?
  
• Are there individuals or groups of people who are in your way?
  
• Are you blocking yourself with self-defeating behavior, beliefs or ideas?
  
• Are there real or perceived limitations you face like lack of time, money, knowledge or tools?
  
• What truths do I know that will help me reveal answer to my problems?
  
• How have other people solved this problem?
  
• How have I solved similar problems in the past?
  
• What solutions might help me overcome my block?
  
• What solutions can I come up with to help me right now or within the next 24 hours?
  
• What action can I take to conquer this block or get to the right solution for me?
  
• What tools, people, and experiences do I need to help me get out of 
  

I encourage you to write all your answers down and make a plan to take action. 

And by the time I am done writing out answers to questions (like the ones listed above), much to my relief, I feel a lot better...like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders, and I can finally fall asleep soundly. 

Of course - you can use these questions anytime or anywhere.

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And lastly, here is a TED talk video I want to share with you.
It's about getting stuck in the negatives (and how to get unstuck) 
Alison Ledgerwood | TEDxUCDavis

I hope you have enjoyed this 4 part series on Getting Unblocked and Unstuck. I have no doubt, soon you will be back on track again, unblocked, motivated and happier.
If you used any of the suggestions, tools or suggestions I recommended – let me know how they made a difference for you.

And by the way… I am here for you, if you do need someone to lend an ear, ask you powerful questions to help you get unstuck and on track again.  If you are interested – Check out my services. 

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LINKS TO THE OTHER PARTS OF THIS SERIES: 
Part 1: Feeling blocked? Get Inspired
Part 2: Feeling blocked?  Go Play
Part 3: Feeling blocked? Get Moving

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