The Messy Middle: What to Do When You Feel Stuck

So many days, I’ll be doing something and have a ton of ideas. I will think, “I need to write about this!” Here I am, wanting to write and my mind is blank. I still have ideas sitting there, but I am struggling to write about them.

I’ve been stuck.

So many things I want to do and then what happens? I do none of them. So, I decided, “no,” I will not do nothing. I’m going to write. In fact, I’m going to write about feeling stuck.

Since I’m stuck…how about I talk about that I’ve been feeling stuck in so many ways, not just about writing. My life has felt like it’s been in gridlock since my husband left in 2021. I want to move forward. I want to create something that will carry me out of the things that I no longer want to do and into the things I do want to do.

For now…I made a choice. Of all the things that are on my to-do list for Lost.Loved.Found, I chose to write. I’m writing about this because I know so many people get stuck. Stuck in life. Stuck in the same job. Stuck in a bad relationship and I have much to write about this subject. This is a huge story, coming soon in multiple parts.

Welcome to the “Messy Middle”

If you are reading this and feeling paralyzed by your own to-do list, I want you to know you aren’t alone. You have hit what is known as the “messy middle”. It is completely normal for your brain to freeze up and gridlock when you are trying to balance life, healing, and building something new.

Whether you are navigating grief or experiencing the decision fatigue that comes from trying to change your circumstances, the brain simply gets overwhelmed. Many of us are facing the exact same core problem: we just don’t know how to rebuild our lives, our faith, and our income after everything has changed.

I tell a story about how I dealt with my new identity when I bought a mirror: https://juliedigitalcreation.online/finding-my-new-identity-after-loss/

How I’m Breaking the Gridlock Today

Gridlock: represents a standstill, where progress feels impossible.
It often arises from overwhelming choices or responsibilities.
Emotional barriers, like fear or anxiety, can contribute to this feeling.
External pressures, such as societal expectations, may exacerbate the situation.
Gridlock, is the perfect metaphor.

I am actively choosing to push through it today, and I want to share exactly how I’m doing it. If you are feeling stuck, try these three simple steps to get moving again:

Create a “Pause” List: To break a gridlock, we have to remove some of the cars from the traffic jam. Look at your massive list of goals and put the overwhelming ones in a drawer for next month. Shrink your mountain down to just the next 24 hours.
Write on Real Paper: I have learned that writing on paper is good for our brain. Grab a real pen and a notebook. Writing things down helps with reducing stress and emotional processing, and it can spark creativity when your mind is totally blank.
Embrace the Obstacle: I have been studying the principles of Marcus Aurelius, and one of his core teachings is: “What stands in the way becomes the way.”. The discouragement and the feeling of being stuck is the way. It is a test of grit. Pushing through this exact moment is what separates those who stay stuck from those who rebuild.

I’m sharing this because building a digital business from home—and rebuilding a life—isn’t always aesthetically pleasing. Sometimes, it’s just about refusing to do nothing.

Have you ever felt or are you feeling stuck in life? What is one small thing you can take off “pause” and do today? Let me know in the comments.

As always, thank you for visiting!
Love,
Julie xoxoxo

#feelingstuck #gridlock #lostlovedfound #movingforward #keepgoing #motivation

Here’s a simple prayer for you, if you’re feeling stuck in life.

Heavenly Father, the LORD of our lives,

I come before You today for those whose hearts are heavy and who feel completely stuck. Lord, You see the “gridlock” of their lives, the overwhelming to-do lists, the paralyzing decisions, and the weight of grief or pain that makes moving forward feel like an impossible mountain to climb.

I lift up every person currently in the “messy middle.” For those who are struggling to rebuild after loss, those stuck in jobs that drain their spirit, or those in relationships that feel like a dead end. I ask for Your divine intervention to break the gridlock.

Lord, grant them Your peace. When their minds freeze up and anxiety takes hold, remind them that they are not alone. Let them feel Your presence in the stillness.

Give them the courage to choose. Help them to take that one small step, to write that one word, to make that one call, or to simply choose to “not do nothing.” Teach them to trust that “what stands in the way becomes the way” when You are the one leading the path.

Provide Your divine guidance. Be the light unto their feet. When the road ahead is obscured by the fog of transition, show them the next 24 hours. Help them to “pause” the overwhelming and focus on Your strength for today. I pray they hear Your Voice, the Voice of their Shepherd and not the voice of a stranger.

I, we, pray for a breakthrough, LORD. Not just in their circumstances, but in their spirits. Transform their struggle into a testimony of Your grit and grace. May they find their new identity in You and walk forward with hope, knowing that You are rebuilding something beautiful from the pieces.

In the Name of Jesus, we pray,

Amen.