"I didn't get enough sleep last night"

"I don't feel good today"

"My allergies are acting up"

"I don't want to get out of bed, just 15 more minutes"

...

A few thoughts I had before 7 AM.

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We don't wake up hoping to be stuck. Getting stuck happens because of the things we do and do not do.

Our habits, level of consistency, and motivation is how we manage the low times when we feel stuck.

I don't know how to get unstuck?

That might be true. It takes a while to figure out how we work from the inside. Lying on the ground motionless is easier than jumping up and running at full sprint.

You don't have to jump or sprint. You just have to get up and start moving. If you are not sure where to start, start here:

• Realize it's your job to get unstuck.

• Find something to get you unstuck.

You are the director, producer, and star of the show called "My Life". You will decide if the show is a flop or a massive success.

You are in control.

When you feel stuck it's important to realize it and then DO something about it. Here are six things you can use to get unstuck.

1. Change Your Environment

I'm a routine person.

That's not true, I want to be a routine person. I am a process person. I like doing certain things consistently for the results they produce. This can be a great habit, but what happens when a routine becomes a rut?

When I am too comfortable in an environment and doing just enough to get by. I make a change. It can be a small change, like changing the room I'm working in for an hour. Or trying a new coffee shop to work from.

It is a simple thing to change your environment. But it can help to break out of a rut. You might sit a different way or in a new place and realize you have been avoiding doing that one thing that is critical for your success.

2. Read

Reading is my favorite tool to get unstuck. Few people do it because spacing out in front of Facebook or Netflix is easier. I'm not talking about reading fantasy or fiction books. No, read something that is going to help you change, develop, or improve a skill.

Read something that helps you this year or in the next.

How can reading a book help me get unstuck?

Through experience.

"The book you don’t read won’t help" –Jim Rohn

Most authors work for 5-10 years before their first book is published. If you read 10 books in a year you could gain as few as 50 years experience or as much as 100 years of experience.

You can use this experience to move your life forward.

By learning about a person's challenges and how they overcame them you can learn techniques that made them successful and apply them in your own life. If skills alone aren't enough then just their thoughts and process should be enough to have you thinking and generating new ideas.

3. Quit

I use to think quitting is bad. I don't believe that anymore. Quitting is as important as not quitting. The key is knowing what to quit.

Quitting can get you unstuck. It gives you a moment to think. Reflect on what you have been doing and make a change to your process. Then continue to move forward.

Maybe starting back in the same direction again isn't the best option? Come back in a few days or years.

4. Listen

I love music. Depending on what I listen to, music can put me in a better mood or motivate me to work even harder.

When you are stuck listen to one of your favorite songs and jam out. Your mood begins to change and you feel more optimistic or even happy. Both emotions lead to higher levels of motivation.

Music can be a little bit like junk food at times. I've noticed it can put me into unproductive thought patterns, or even just zoned out.

Find a podcast to supplement your music consumption. Similar to the books you read, find a podcast about a topic that interests you that you want to learn more about.

Podcast hosts read hundreds of books and interview countless people every year. Just by following their conversation. You can pick up a great deal of information that teach you new techniques and tools.

5. Develop This Muscle

Recruiting work is filled with challenges and obstacles. You may want to let one tough moment stop you, and say "I'm stuck" or "I need help".

"Everyone won't help you but you can always help yourself." (click to tweet)

Train your "idea" muscle. When you have new ideas to choose from you can always find a way to help yourself. "I'm not a creative person" while some people might be more prone to creativity, you can be creative.

Like anything else, creativity is a muscle. It can be developed.

Commit to coming up with 5 new ideas everyday. A few days into this habit, you will find yourself coming up with ideas throughout the day. More ideas translate into more opportunities. More results.

New ways to get unstuck and moving again.

6. Keep Your Promises

I didn't want to get up today. I told myself the night before that this was the time I was waking up.

I was physically hurting and tired of working out after the first 3 sets. I wanted to quit but I couldn't. I told myself I would do 5 sets. I did 5 sets.

Resistance inside always finds a reason for you not to do something.

By keeping your promises to yourself it is easier to overcome resistance. Keeping promises to others becomes second nature when you are honest and keep your own promises.

The stronger your willpower is. The harder it is for you to fall and become stuck.

- - -

You are not a victim, change your mindset and move to get unstuck.

You are in control.

Lights, camera, action.

Clinton Buelter is the founder of ColdEmailForRecruiters. He’s a tech recruiter turned entrepreneur. With more than six years of recruiting experience, starting at a staffing agency and working his way into technical recruitment for software companies like VMware and Glassdoor.

(Photo by Minic)