Feeling stuck is normal. Staying stuck is a choice.

I wanted out of my hometown. Not because it sucked, but because it wasn’t enough. One day I quit my job, switched grad programs, left with zero plan, and somehow it all worked out.

Life has a way of putting the brakes on just when you think you’re moving forward. One day you’re making progress, the next you’re staring at the same wall, wondering how you ended up here again.

Being stuck isn’t a flaw. It’s a pattern. And patterns exist to be broken.

Stuck Doesn’t Feel Like Stuck

Most people don’t choose stagnation. It sneaks in. You wait for the “right moment,” more money, more clarity, more confidence, or some cosmic sign. Usually it’s just fear in business casual.

Comfort is a trap. Familiar routines feel safe because they demand nothing from you. No risk. No friction. No growth. Comfort is just stagnation with a shiny label.

Busyness is a trap too. Reading the books, saving the posts, listening to the podcasts at 1.5x speed. You feel inspired, but nothing actually changes. Inspiration without action is a full-time job with zero pay.

Your Past Self Is Holding You Back

Half the time you’re stuck because you’re loyal to a version of yourself that doesn’t exist anymore. Old labels run the show. “I’m not that kind of person.” Says who? Growth means disappointing your old self a little.

Small Actions Beat Big Declarations

You don’t need a master plan. You need motion. Send the email. Write the first shitty draft. Show up for ten minutes instead of overthinking the whole thing. Momentum comes before confidence.

Your environment matters more than motivation. Who you spend time with, what you tolerate, what you consume. If your world reinforces smallness, stuck feels normal. That’s not you, it’s the context.

Honesty Hurts but It Frees You

Be brutally honest with yourself. Admit when you’re bored, restless, or playing it safe. Comforting lies feel safe. Truth gives you an exit.

Ego can trap you too. Pride pretends it’s self-respect. If it keeps you from asking for help, trying something new, or starting over, it’s not protection. It’s prison.

Act Like Who You’re Becoming

The shift happens when you act like the person you want to be instead of defending who you were. Reinvention isn’t dramatic. It’s small, uncomfortable, repetitive. Behavior first. Confidence later.

You won’t get unstuck waiting for life to change. You get unstuck when you stop negotiating with your excuses.

Move or stay. Just don’t pretend staying is outside your control.