If you are a visionary person, forward movement is important to you. You need to see things taking shape as you imagine them and you’re willing to do what it takes to make it happen. You struggle with status quo living. You don’t like stagnancy.
You hate the feeling of being stuck.
“Stuck” is a proverbial place that most people find themselves in from time to time. It’s actually a mental state in which you feel immobilized. You want to move forward, but something is holding you back and you don’t know how to pull out.
When you’re a leader, being stuck doesn’t just affect you. It also affects the people that you lead because your stunted growth can also stifle theirs. When you feel stuck, you also feel frustrated and even down on yourself. This impacts the people around you.
I was feeling this way several months ago when I started back to work after recovering from a breakdown. I had a clear vision of what God was calling me to do in this new season of my life, but I felt like I was in a maze with no compass. I was moving in circles of busy work but making no progress toward what was burning in my heart.
I was talking to one of my closest friends about this during one of our long and deep conversations:
“I feel stuck,” I said.
She responded, “You’re not stuck, Gen. You’re crowded.”
Crowded. I had not heard that term out of all my years working as a life coach and personal development professional. But I immediately knew what it meant and the accuracy of the description. It was the reason for my feelings of immobility and frustration.
My plate was full of competing priorities. If I was going to birth this new vision, I had to make space for it. I had to do the work of deciding, deleting, and delegating responsibilities and tasks that no longer fit this new season.
Grinding, overwork, and overwhelm were no longer options for me because I was committed to my health. Moving forward without the stress required some deeper work. Living in peace and purpose demanded more.
My spirit and mind were in agreement with God about my purpose and calling. The next part was getting my priorities in alignment. I had to let things go. I had to get uncrowded.
This is very challenging to do and, honestly, I’m still working my way through it. I’m still in the process of deciding, deleting, and delegating responsibilities and tasks that don’t fit with this new season. These decisions affect more people than me, so I’m patient with the process as I move through it. But I’m committed to getting more and more uncrowded so I can experience greater peace, purpose, and impact.
