What's Really Weighing You Down and Keeping You Stuck?

By Elena Lipson

I was having dinner with my friend over the weekend and she told me something I hear all the time – she was feeling stuck. This woman is one of the toughest and most successful women I know. She’s exceeding her goals at work in the finance industry, making good money, has a great relationship with her husband and overall, is living a life most people would envy. But lately, she’s been pretty miserable. She’s had a series of miscarriages and is surrounded by toxic co-workers every day at work. She kinda wants to leave her job but worries that now isn’t the right time if she wants to get pregnant and have her first child. On top of all that, she’s starting to wonder if she’s even meant to have kids. This is one of the most resourceful women I know and for once, she just isn’t sure what her next move should be or how to move forward.

My friend’s story – the successful, mid-career professional woman who seems to have it all but is actually unhappy and feeling stuck – is all too common. If you can relate to this, there are some things you can do to get greater clarity on what you want so you can get unstuck.

First, take a hard look at what’s weighing you down.

Is it the pressure to earn a certain amount of money?
Is it that you’re getting older and feel like you need to have kids ASAP?
Is it that you want to spend more time with your family but this is also a really important time in your career?

Most likely, you’re feeling some sort of pressure because what you want in your personal life is incongruent with what’s happening in your career. Whatever it is – get clear about what’s REALLY weighing you down and where the pressure is coming from. Next think about, what doesn’t serve you anymore? What’s keeping you stuck and unsure of your next move? And if whatever is weighing you down changes, then what changes for you? Imagine what could be possible for you if you stopped letting yourself get weighed down. It’s normal that things can feel hard and you feel stuck when you focus on a limiting idea. But we can’t stay in that state if we want to live a big, fulfilling life.

Originally published at Ellevatenetwork.com

What’s Really Weighing You Down and Keeping You Stuck?