Welcome to Episode #227 of the Own Your Best Life Podcast.
If you’re feeling stuck—like life isn’t moving forward no matter how hard you try—I want you to know something: you’re not alone, and there’s nothing wrong with you.
What if I told you that being stuck is actually a sign of something much deeper—and that breaking free is not only possible but also simpler than you think?
Today, I’ll uncover why high achievers like you feel stuck, the hidden patterns keeping you there, and most importantly, the steps you can take today to break free.
I remember a time early in my career when I had just started at McKinsey. I was juggling so many responsibilities—managing employees the client had hired to resolve a business crisis and handling things I had never done before. I kept making progress and was given more resources, but when I was told I “owned it all” and had to make the final calls, I didn’t feel empowered. I felt stuck.
Have you ever hit a point where, no matter how much you accomplish, it feels like it’s never enough? Or maybe you’re stuck in analysis paralysis, unsure if you’re making the right moves in your career or personal life?
You know you have options—just like I knew I had options—but sometimes you still can’t find a way forward.
What I’ve found in my work training and coaching hundreds of professionals is that there are usually three root causes of feeling stuck.
1. External Validation
We often chase achievements that aren’t truly aligned with our purpose. Instead of understanding why we’re doing the hard work, we end up resenting the people and circumstances that complicate our lives.
Have you ever paused to think: Are the job, relationships, and life you’re creating truly your own? Fulfillment comes from inside us. If I had focused on making myself proud rather than pleasing my client or boss, I wouldn’t have been so consumed with self-doubt. I chose that job for me—but worrying about others’ approval kept me stuck.
2. Fear of Failure or the Unknown
This is when you believe that change is too risky. I know this fear well. I kept choosing burnout-inducing jobs, convincing myself that any change would mean losing everything I had worked so hard to build. I thought the only way to live was the way I was living.
3. Overwhelm
This happens when you have too many priorities and no clarity on what truly matters. Whether it’s family, job opportunities, or daily obligations, the constant busyness keeps you stuck.
I remember thinking, “After this one sprint, I’ll figure it out.” But that sprint turned into another—and another—until staying the same became more painful than the idea of changing.
No matter which of these you’re experiencing, feeling stuck isn’t a sign of failure. It’s a signal that you’ve outgrown your current way of living or working.
The other day, my partner Jay and I reflected on the past year. One of the questions we asked was, “What’s something you appreciate more about your partner this year?”
Jay’s answer inspired this episode. He said, “You keep changing. You never get stuck.”
I want to clarify something: I do get stuck. The difference is that I don’t stay stuck.
Being stuck isn’t the problem—it’s the symptom. The real issue is misalignment between what you’re doing and what you truly desire.
When you feel stuck, it’s life’s way of telling you it’s time to pause, reflect, and recalibrate.
One of my clients felt completely stuck in her role. Through my Activation Sequence™ process, we uncovered her unique genius and shifted her into work that not only pays her well but lights her up. Now, she gets paid to travel and meet new people—the very things she used to fight for in her previous role.
So how do you move from stuck to free? Let’s break it down into four steps.
Step 1: Create Space to Reflect
Take a moment to disconnect from the noise. Journal on these prompts:
- What’s working?
- What’s not?
- What would I do if I weren’t afraid of failing?
When I first answered these questions, I realized that teaching meditation and coaching seemed like far-fetched dreams. But dreams can become reality if you’re willing to make space for them.
Step 2: Identify What’s Misaligned
Where are you spending your time and energy? Are your actions connected to your values and long-term vision?
I often ask myself, “Would my future self be happy with my present self?” If your time is spent on things or people that don’t align with your values, it’s no wonder you feel stuck.
Step 3: Take a Small, Aligned Action
Breaking free doesn’t require a complete overhaul. Start small—set a boundary, reconnect with a passion, or take one bold step.
Whose permission are you waiting for to begin?
Step 4: Get Support
You don’t have to do this alone. Working with someone who can see the bigger picture accelerates your growth.
One client of mine once thought self-help books were enough. But after working together, she realized how much she had been bulldozing through life. She knows that she wouldn’t be where she is today if she was the same person she used to be – and coaching helped her become not just a better leader but a better person. Now, she’s thriving in a dream job that reflects her true self.
To wrap it up: Feeling stuck isn’t the end; it’s a signal to realign. Create space, identify misalignment, take small steps, and seek support.
Your best life is waiting. The only thing between you and it is the clarity to take the first step.
Feeling stuck or unsure where to start? Join my Spiritual Achiever® Coaching program. Together, we’ll get you unstuck, out of overwhelm, and moving with clarity toward a life that feels as good as it looks.
If you’d like to become a Spiritual Achiever, I invite you to watch the free training on how to Stand Out and Lead, using spiritual, high-performance strategies: STAND OUT AND LEAD.
You can apply to join my Spiritual Achiever® program, where you’re going to create your next chapter with spiritual and high-performance strategies to achieve time and financial freedom using my proven method. It’s risk-free. You either start seeing results within your first month or I give you your money back. Schedule your call here at www.mayempson.com/contact. We’ll see you inside.
Want to know more about what happens when you join?
- When you join Spiritual Achiever® Coaching you’ll be supported for a full year: Career Revelation Academy: A 5-step career change process (if you have a job you want to stay in, I’ll show you how to love it even more) that can launch you into your next career chapter in 30 days.
- 2x/month group training and coaching on Spirituality, Achievement, Earth Energy and Harmony. You’ll know how to design your days for breakthroughs, create a personal brand and community, lead yourself and others through change, become more physically and mentally fit, reduce stress and reinvent what’s possible in this next chapter of your life.
- Discover your Leadership Strengths and Branding Workshop: Increase your awareness of what makes YOU different from others and how to become even better at your genius zone.
- Your Best Year workshop: Create your one year plan and design this next year, no matter what time of the year it is.
- Your Next 5 Years one-day virtual retreat: Vision what’s possible 5 years from now and break out of your old routines so you can step into new habits, behaviors and routines.
- Tickets to all in-person Spiritual Achiever retreats (discounted rates): Highly immersive and intimate gatherings where we spend time in nature, experience energy work, eat and move well – all while making big decisions and committing to what’s next for us.
- Monthly 1:1 Coaching Sessions: To help you break through obstacles, define your individual path, and to work on both strategy and mindset.
The next step?
Schedule a consultation to get clarity on how coaching can help you on your journey.
Once you’re accepted into the program, you’ll receive a calendar invite for a 2-hour deep dive 1:1 session to map out your personal goals and your own year-long journey.
You’ll have immediate access to the Spiritual Achiever process and philosophy – how to achieve your biggest goals and reinvent your life.
You’ll have immediate access to 5 modules of Career Revelation Academy – to love your career even more and launch that next chapter of your career in 30 days.
You’ll have the calendar invites for the upcoming group calls and retreats.
If this speaks to you, I can’t wait to talk to you live: Schedule a consultation.
Reach out at www.mayempson.com/contact for more information on my Spiritual Achiever coaching program. You’ll figure out what’s next and actually go and do it.
That’s it for this week. Have an amazing one and I’ll talk to you next time.
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