Getting unstuck during the pandemic

I am an introvert and during the first few weeks of the pandemic, I found quiet relief at being at home and not having to do the daily two-hour commute to work. 

But now going into the third month of being stuck at home, I’m sooo ready for life to go back to normal and I bet you are too. 

And maybe like me you are feeling stuck in more ways than you’d care to admit. But what if we could use this time of being stuck at home to get unstuck — so that when we come out of this season, we will be ready to soar to new heights?

So how do we move forward? How do we become unstuck especially during a world crisis?  

One of the best investments I’ve made is my $9 monthly subscription to Boundaries.me which is run by Dr. Henry Cloud, the co-author of the well-known Boundaries book.

I often take him with me on my daily walks along the creek that’s near our house. And his mini-course on Getting Unstuck was so timely for me. I’ve listened to it again and again. 

It’s helping me to realize how I’ve been stuck in one area of my life, which means a lot to me, for several years. 

Intentions vs. reality 

So for the past four years, I’ve been wanting to launch my blog (Hearts Fully Alive) and simply write stories that are bottled up inside me. I’ve held onto this dream with a fierce tenacity but all my intentions and planning have produced little fruit. The reality is that on most weeks, I only spend an average of an hour or two working on my blog if that!

“We hang on to the intention and the intention actually becomes a medication in the moment that keeps us from a reality. And the reality is we’re not doing it.” Dr. Cloud goes on to explain how holding onto the intentions of doing it later …  tomorrow or next week just keeps us in denial. 

My big aha moment was realizing that I have to come out of the denial that my blog will someday be my full-time job before another six months, year or four years go by! And part of me coming out of denial is admitting that I’m powerless to do this. 

I’ve tried so hard on my own in the past and no amount of pep talk or self-berating will take me to the next level. And at this point, my feelings tell me I should just quit! What’s the point? If I’ve been wanting to do this for four years and haven’t done it, then I’m probably never going to do it.

Letting go of intentions and getting help

What I hadn’t done in the past is let go of the intentions, do a serious audit and come out of denial. I’ve had to admit: 

I’m powerless to do this on my own.  I need help.

In the mini-course, Dr. Cloud tells how a company hired him to get a book out of its CEO. He brought the external structure and accountability for the CEO to write the book he needed to write. 

We can’t all hire a nationally acclaimed psychologist who will sit with us while we write our book, work on our blog or whatever it is you’ve been putting off. But we can find help in the form of an accountability group, life coach, counselor etc. . This is one of the key reasons I recently volunteered to facilitate a small mastermind blogging group that’s part of a larger online writing academy. My main job is to show up and encourage our group with their blogging goals while I work on mine. 

I’ve put a lot into this dream of making blogging my full-time job. It’s not just a fun side hobby which gives me something to do but so much more is at stake for me. 

Believe it can be done

Three years ago, I “met” a blogger in an online course who was afraid of losing her house and who had a child who was struggling. She did not have a job outside of her own self-employed business and she really needed the blog to work out. 

And I thought — that’s me. 

Like this blogger, who was just beginning to blog at the time, my family’s well being is at stake. After having lived overseas in Czechia for 17 years, we are in the process of rebuilding our lives in the U.S. in one of the most expensive counties in the country. We’ve come back to the place where our loved ones and church family reside. 

So this blogger begins making a full-time income a year after starting her blog. To be exact — a year later she makes $17,000 a month! 

And I’ve often wondered — how did she do it? How did she find the time to work on her blog with everything that was going on in her life? How did she create mental space to work?

Today, three years later, this blogger made well over $100,000 last month!

What I’ve learned from her is that it’s possible to earn an income from blogging — even when you have a lot going on. My goal is not to earn loads of money — my goal is to use my desire to write as a way to support and provide for my family’s dire needs during this transition. 

Reality says I can’t quit my job and work on my blog full-time. And reality also says, my well-planned intentions of launching my blog will keep me stuck in denial. The truth is if I don’t work on it at least 10 hours weekly, this will just be a hobby that takes money from my family’s limited budget. 

I believe with all my heart that the Lord is my provider. For 17 years, we’ve lived by faith, never really knowing how much would come in each month. And for 17 years, we saw God’s great faithfulness to us. I have 17 years of assurance to know that God is not going to let us down now.  He hasn’t and He never will. And it’s the same for you, friend. 

“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Heb. 13:8

God is the giver of all good gifts. For me, I’m believing that this blog is one of them. If the pandemic has confirmed anything it would be that the online world will continue to play a huge role in our lives. Now is a great time to be a blogger!

I believe God’s Word for this season in my life is what Moses reminded the Israelites.

“But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth.” Deut. 8:18

Getting it done — starting today!

Once a month, I’m going to write a post about my progress with this blog. As far as I know, I have all the necessary tools to make this blog work. My weakest point is my technical knowledge but I know where I can find help for that. The only thing missing is the time I need. So this first month, my goal will be to work on this blog for 40 hours (10 hours/week). I want to see how much I can get done in 40 hours. I’ve even created a printable to help me keep track of my progress. And I’m starting today!

What about you, friend — where are you feeling stuck? And what can you do about it today? How about joining me in the 40-Hour challenge? There’s power in being part of a community of like-minded dream achievers!