How to Get Unstuck in Life after 50
If you’re stuck, you are highly likely to know that you need to get unstuck if you want to live your best life after 50. And, in midlife, you also probably know your time is of the essence.
Yes, my friend. You are correct.
You are wasting valuable time when you stay stuck.
What you can do to get unstuck
Now that we all agree, let’s not stop there. There are things you can do to help yourself get unstuck. If you want to live your best life after 50, you can’t just sit there whining and complaining about how stuck you are. I know first-hand that while it’s fun to unload like that, it doesn’t really help you move forward.
Here are five concrete ways to move your forward and get unstuck:
1. Ask yourself “why.”
When you’re stuck, you probably believe your narrative about your life. In midlife, autopilot living is common. When you ask yourself “why” more often, your answers may surprise you and give you incredible insight.
- Why am I stuck at work?
- Why don’t I know what I want?
- Why do I want to get unstuck?
- Why am I having trouble unsticking myself?
- Why don’t I plan more?
- Why do I let so much time go by without making “that” change?
BEST TIP: Write down or type your answers quickly, without critique or editing. Then, let them sit for a day or two and go back and read your answers. Your answers are your thoughts. And your thoughts are why you’re stuck.
2. Check in on your beliefs about aging.
You may not really understand your core beliefs about getting older. This is important because your thoughts drive your feelings and the way you show up, so if they’re out of alignment with what you want, you will run into blocks that you don’t understand. When you raise your awareness about your thoughts, you can then decide if you like your reasons for thinking that way and work on tweaks to your thinking that are a better fit for the woman you want to be.
BEST TIP: Challenge yourself with these questions to find your thinking about aging. Ask yourself:
- Do I really believe the best is yet to come?
- Do I love getting compliments about not looking my age?
- Do I love celebrating birthdays, especially milestone birthdays?
- Do I share my age openly when asked?
- Do I catch myself making negative judgements about other people’s ages and what they’re capable of doing or accomplishing?
- Do I think I’m too old to do certain things?
3. Be curious about gratitude when it comes to your age and stage.
The scientific evidence around gratitude is unbelievably compelling when it comes to overall health and well-being. Noticing how grateful you actually feel for aging past 50 is often overlooked. I’ve coached on this many times and am particularly sensitive to it because both of my parents died young and didn’t have the opportunity to age like this. It’s something that many take for granted.
BEST TIP: Be curious about the way you’re grateful for the opportunity to age. Ask yourself:
- What would be different for you if you showed gratitude for your own aging?
- What would you do?
- How else would you feel?
4. Make a change.
Change can bring brightness to your life when you feel stuck. When you’re stuck, you don’t see how opportunities are everywhere and your fear is running wild. It doesn’t really matter what you change or how big the change is because any change will help you start to think differently. And then you’ll see more opportunities and you’ll get the ball rolling to unstick yourself.
BEST TIP: Start small because a small change counts and can lead to bigger changes. Getting started is what’s really important.
- Read a self-help book
- call a friend you haven’t talked to in awhile
- go to a concert
- take a weekend trip
- ride your bike
- volunteer for something
- start a garden
- follow YouTube videos about a hobby you’re interested in
- take an online course
- go to a meetup
- Watch a documentary of an inspiring person
5. Imagine winning the lottery.
Quick…what’s the first thing that pops into your mind related to you winning 5 million in the lottery. After you took care of yourself and your family, what else would you do? What insight is here about your purpose in life?
BEST TIP: Be curious about why you thought of that thing you would do. Ask yourself:
- What can you learn from the way it popped into your mind immediately?
- What do you make doing that thing mean to you?
- Would you regret not doing it?
- How can you create some of that in your life now, even without winning the lottery?
Next steps to get unstuck and create your midlife transformation
These five strategies to get unstuck in life, especially in midlife, will help you get going. When you’re stuck, you’re not moving forward. Do something now so you can be on the road to live your best life after 50!
Midlife coaching can help to get unstuck and thrive in midlife!
Suzy Rosenstein, MA is a master certified life coach and host of the popular podcast for midlife women, Women in the Middle, with over 1 million downloads. Having wasted five years being stuck herself, she knows how frustrating and painful it can be. She uses her upbeat approach with the serious topic of aging to help you get clear about what you want, get unstuck and live your best life. Girlfriend, there’s more fun to be had! Start now with her free video training about how to get unstuck: www.midlifevideo.com.
