What To Do When You're Stuck

We can all feel stuck on our journeys to acquire new skills. It’s especially hard when you’re learning to teach yourself. I won’t go into the details of what it’s like to struggle with this, since you probably already know, but I’m here to share what’s helped me in the past. These ideas are pretty general so they may not be a surprise to you. However, if you have the drive and determination I think you’ll find along the road that these tools help more than you realized in the midst of the journey.

My first piece of advice is to learn backwards. I know it doesn’t seem logical, but usually when I get lost learning a subject, it’s because I missed something. I feel stupid rewinding, since I was convinced I learned everything necessary, but sometimes I miss something. If you’re not sure what to do next, it’s probably because you need learn backwards. So go back and look at old notes, review old books, and see what you possibly missed.

Let’s assume you didn’t miss anything. You’re still stuck. If that’s the case that take a moment to evaluate how you’re feeling. Maybe write it out, and specifically write what you’re frustrated with. Keep asking yourself the question “why” and I think you’ll discover that you’re either overwhelmed, or you’re looking for information in the wrong places.

Lastly, make use of mentors. If you don’t have a mentor for the skill that you’re learning, find one now. Right now. They’ll take you down roads that you didn’t know existed, and they’ll open your eyes to truths that would’ve taken you years to see on your own. If you’re still feeling stuck, go to your mentor and see if they’ve been in the same situation. I can say from personal experience that often times the answer was right in front of me. I just needed my mentor to help me see it.