6 Things to Do When You're Stuck in the Waiting
6 Things to Do When You're Stuck in the Waiting
I’ll be honest, I’ve been feeling stuck these last few months. And it’s sucked.
Every time I feel like I’ve taken one big step forward, I end up right back where I started.
I kept constantly asking myself, “When is it MY turn?”
When is it my turn to get recognized, for my hard work over the last few years to pay off?
When is it my turn for my husband to finally come home after a three-month deployment turned into nearly six months?
I started journaling recently and thought about all of the times I’ve felt stuck in my life. I’m 28 years old so you know there have been a lot of those moments. Waiting to meet the one, waiting to get out of high school, waiting to figure out what my purpose in this world is.
I love to ask other people what they would tell their younger self if they could. So I started thinking about all the things I would go back and tell younger Darrian when she was stuck in the waiting. Whether you’re struggling with waiting for the one or waiting for the next phase of life to happen, waiting for a loved one to return home, to get better, we’ve all been there and experienced that helpless feeling of being stuck. Sister, if you can relate to this right now I’ve got just the thing for ya. Keep reading!
6 Things to Do When You Feel Stuck
1. Recognize that you are not powerless over your life
One of the things I often struggle with most when I’m stuck in a period of waiting is a feeling of helplessness or lack of control. But trust me when I say that you DO have power over what happens in your life. You have the power to wake up each day motivated, in a good mood, etc. We often sit around waiting when we’re stuck in the waiting. I know, that sounds like an oxymoron but hear me out. Look for the challenges in your life. Don’t wait for God or the universe to sort them out. They have already been presented to you as challenges and that, my friends, is where you find the blessings.
2. Just START
Whenever I get asked how to start a blog, “just start” is always the first thing I say. Getting started in anything, especially something new or that you’ve been away from for a while (like dating) is such a struggle. But what are you losing by not just putting on your big girl pants and starting today? I recently put this advice to good use for myself and started writing a novel. You can’t edit something that’s not written, you can’t pitch something that’s not edited, etc. I didn’t have much of a game plan but I sat down with an idea and just started writing. I now have 13,000 words of what I hope to be my first novel written.
3. Invest in yourself
As women, I think we often struggle with the idea of investing in ourselves. We’re socialized to not be selfish from a young age and unfortunately, it is something that sticks with us, ingrained in our being, throughout adulthood as well. I think this idea of being stuck in the waiting is even something we’re taught as girls. Not everything needs to be done for a man or by a man or anyone else for that matter. You have every right to invest in yourself and your self-care. Whether that looks like investing in courses for something you want to learn or investing in something that makes you look and feel your best, you deserve it. There is no better time to invest in yourself than when you’re in a period of waiting.
4. Remember to be intentional with your time
Sometimes when we’re in the thick of the waiting we just stop doing everything. We get so focused on the waiting and what we’re lacking that we fail to see what we have. Friend, I hope that no matter what you’re currently waiting for, you remember to be intentional with your time each day. After all, we only get to live so many days and another one is never guaranteed.
5. Set aside time for self-reflection
It’s no secret that I love journaling and journaling is actually what helped me realize I was being called to write this post this week. Self-reflection and journaling is good for a lot of things but it can be an especially powerful tool to use when you are stuck in a period of waiting.
Want to start journaling but not sure where to start?
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6. Give yourself grace
Girlfriend, it’s okay to not have it all figured out. In fact, most of the time when we think we’re supposed to have all the answers, we’re really not. If you’re feeling stuck in the waiting, give yourself grace. You will get to where you’re supposed to be, I promise.
Chat soon, Darrian
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