Getting Beyond Stuck

A man walked down to the train station, whistling a happy tune. He was excited to start his travels, and to see and experience many marvelous things.

He arrived at the station and walked up to the ticket counter. "I'd like a ticket, please," the man said.

"Sure," said the ticket seller. "Where to?"

The man looked confused. "I don't know. I just want a ticket. Can't you sell me one?"

The ticket seller explained that a destination was required in order to issue a ticket. The man left, feeling stuck in his place. He wanted to go!

Are you that man?

It seems obvious that to buy a ticket to ride a train, you need to have destination. But when it comes to life, many of us have trouble seeing that the same rule applies.

The Universe is the ticket seller. It has the ability to send you anywhere you'd like to go -- but you have to tell It exactly where that is!

If you're feeling stuck, chances are very good that it's because you don't know where you want to go. "I want to be happy" or "I want more money" are not destinations you can move towards. They are like the man in our story saying, "I want to get on the train."

To move beyond stuck, you need to be specific about what you want. Start by describing your destination or final outcome in minute detail. I call this a future memory. Make it so real that it seems like it has already happened!

Then work backwards from that point to determine the steps that are required to get you there. For example, let's say your "destination" was to take a 4-day bike trip through Vermont.

In order to ride for four days in a row, you would first need to practice long rides. But before you could practice long rides, you would first need to buy an appropriate bike. But before you could buy an appropriate bike, you would first need to save some money.

Keep working backwards until you've reached your current situation and have accounted for everything that's needed to achieve your future memory. You now have a roadmap to guide you in your journey.

Take each step one by one and celebrate small victories as you go. Stay on course and you will arrive where you want to be! n