I’m in the process of overhauling our online content, our website and how we communicate with you. I am super excited about it. We are creating video and streamlining content and business tools. You are going to get the best of my best. I can’t wait to share it with you!
But today it got a little weird. I got a little weird. For twenty years, I haven’t worked on a project that I couldn’t work out on a flip chart. This project, while not overly complicated, has a lot of moving parts. We ran out of paper.
So we adopted a collaborative online project management program called Trello. And we bought Infusionsoft. And Lead Pages. These cool programs have a lot of firepower. We could let out a lot of rope and hang ourselves. I’m the leader and my job is to make sure the plan is crafted and executed.
All of this is taking me out of my comfort zone. Today…I got stuck. My immediate assignment was to create some copy about a topic about which I consider myself an expert. I stared at a blank screen for about 15 minutes and I couldn’t come up with a functional sentence. Ugh. Stuck like a peanut in brittle.
It’s been a while since I was so blank. I knew what was happening because I create that kind of overwhelm when I work with clients and drag them into new territory. So, I took a deep breath and set about getting UNstuck.
- I went to the bathroom. Something about moving water gets things flowing for me. Just sayin. Some people think clearly in the shower. A walk can help. Engage in some activity that changes the energy.
- I eliminated some variables. Multi-tasking doesn’t work for me. While I was staring at a blank screen, I also had one ear tuned to a conversation behind me and noticed my cell phone blowing up. Pick a task and shut down distractions.
- I started writing…about something else. If the current task is collapsing you, set it aside for a moment. ANY production will get you unstuck. Production increases your morale, and even produces seritonin…a natural feel good brain chemical. Nice.
- I jumped back into the original task. And I realized that I don’t have to do everything. Just my part. I have an awesome team. They are capable of doing their parts, and they do the heavy lifting. I dishonor them when I get my underwear in a bunch and stress out.
- Once unstuck, I could see all the options and opportunities. I’m back in with both feet. Time to thank each team member for allowing me the luxury of having a blank moment. (Thanks, Jon, Michelle, Shauna and Jeremy!)
The best part about getting stuck, and unstuck, was the brick-to-the-head reminder that we are in this together. Our lives, our businesses, are never done. Nobody has it all figured out. We win, and we fail, every day. In any moment, we are the guru and the apprentice and sometimes we are just lost travelers. What a lovely, humbling moment to share with you.
