Three Tips to Getting Unstuck

Have you ever just felt…stuck? There’s something you want to do or try, or perhaps you know God has called you to do a particular work, but you don’t know how to start. I experienced that recently and found myself frustrated, questioning my ideas and even whether I’d heard from God.  To get unstuck, I had to do three things: Pray, Plan, and Act.

Pray

My frustration stemmed from my trying to do everything on my own. Yes, God gave me the ideas, but I started leaning to my understanding instead of going to Him for instruction. When I went to Him in prayer, He showed me where I veered off course. He then provided the instruction, clarity, and next steps that I needed to move forward.

Tip:  Pray early.  Pray often.  Pray humbly.

Plan

After the Lord answered me in prayer, it was time to plan. Unfortunately, many Christians want to “act” without planning their next steps. I began writing out my plan, but I lifted them to the Lord before I acted on them in prayer. Planning is essential to every aspect of our lives. I use project plans at work, and I use project plans in my home, life, and ministry. Planning helps us focus and foresee what will need our attention and when.

Tip:  Remember, although you can plan your ways, God orders your steps.

Act

After I had prayed and planned, it was time to move. It was time to act. It was time to implement the plan. This is the fun part, but it’s also the difficult part. Not only is it difficult, it’s scary but exciting all at the same time. This phase requires prayer as well. When we pray, the Lord will show us how to execute the plan. Here’s something I’ve learned in the 2 1/2 months I’ve been blogging: everyone’s an expert. A quick search on blogging will reveal varying opinions on everything from choosing your niche, narrowing down your target audience, how to grow your email list, and how to optimize your posts for SEO. It’s difficult and frustrating to know whom to trust, whom to follow, and for whose products and courses you should pay. And this is precisely where my frustration originated.

In prayer, the Lord instructed me to go back to the original plan He gave me. He told me to go back to the basics. The “experts” offer great advice, but their advice does not supersede God’s will and purpose for my life, my blog, or my business.

Tip: If you want to get unstuck, seek the Lord and ask Him to show you whether you’ve been following “experts” instead of following Him.

Be honest…which aspect of your life has you leaning to your own understanding or following the experts? Maybe you want a promotion on your job, or perhaps you want to work in a particular ministry in your church. Maybe you’re trying to lose weight or get out of debt. I’ll never tell you not to take the “experts” advice under consideration, but I will ask you to seek the Lord first. Listen, I can tell you how I lost 30 pounds, and it may work for you, but only God knows what your body needs.   Perhaps God desires to move differently in your life, a way the “experts” don’t know anything about.

As you set your goals, I urge you not to forget to Pray, Plan, and Act. When you keep the Lord in your plans, you’re tapping into a wealth of wisdom and resources you never expected.

~Aretha

PS:  Click here to download my free 30-day workbook, “Forgiven to Forgive.”