This conversation is close to the bone, because it’s one of those patterns we’ve all been in, often without realising it. That feeling where you’re doing “all the right things”, taking the courses, following the strategies, asking for advice, but deep down, you still feel stuck.
You’re not alone. And you’re not doing anything wrong.
What I’ve come to see, both in myself and in so many of the women I work with, is that being stuck doesn’t always come from lack of effort. Often, it comes from trying too hard to do things the “right” way, while ignoring the truth that’s already inside you.
In this piece, I want to walk you through three hidden ways you may be keeping yourself stuck, and how to begin shifting out of them. These aren’t surface-level blocks, they run deeper. But once you see them, you can’t unsee them. And that’s where the change begins.

EPISODE 152: Listen using the player below, or click the links to your fave platform to subscribe and listen over there:
When You’re Consuming Instead of Creating
It’s easy to believe that the more you learn, the clearer you’ll feel. That if you just take in one more module, one more podcast, one more how-to video, the fog will lift. But what often happens is the opposite.
You start your day consuming. A scroll here, a few emails there, maybe some training you signed up for. It doesn’t seem like much at first. But soon you realise you haven’t checked in with yourself at all. You’ve been so focused on other people’s ideas that your own have no space to breathe.
That’s the moment when clarity disappears. Not because you don’t know anything, but because you’re full of other people’s voices. And you tell yourself you’re being productive. You’re learning. You’re preparing. But meanwhile, you’re not actually creating.
Here’s the truth:
- The more you consume, the more likely you are to feel overwhelmed, not empowered.
- The more you compare, the less likely you are to take bold, intuitive action.
- The more you absorb strategies that don’t match your energy, the more disoriented you become.
Clarity doesn’t come from consuming. It comes from creating.
When Fear Disguises Itself as Preparation
Fear doesn’t always show up as panic or paralysis. Sometimes, it looks like planning. Sometimes, it looks like endless learning.
It’s easy to tell yourself, “I’m not ready yet. I just need one more course. One more book. One more framework to feel confident.” But deep down, there’s often another truth underneath: you’re stalling. You tell yourself you’re getting ready, but what you’re really doing is avoiding the leap.
You think that if you keep learning, you’ll eventually feel safe enough to act. But the only thing that creates safety in leadership is doing. It’s moving, even when you’re scared. It’s taking one step, and then another, and letting the momentum build trust.
Fear loves to wear the mask of preparation. But if you look closely, you’ll know the difference. And when you see it for what it is, you can stop waiting for the perfect moment and start honouring the one you’re already in.
When You’re Waiting for Permission to Trust Yourself
This one goes deep. Somewhere along the line, most of us absorbed the idea that someone else knows better. That there’s a “right way” to do things. That you can’t move until someone says, “Yes, that’s the right decision.”
So you second-guess. You ask for advice. You loop through options again and again, waiting for the green light that never comes. And what’s really happening is this: you’re outsourcing your power. But here’s the truth. You already know what to do.
You’ve known for a while. It’s just that trusting yourself feels vulnerable. It feels exposed. Because if you make the wrong choice, you won’t have anyone else to point to. It’ll be on you. But staying stuck is its own kind of cost.
You don’t need permission. You don’t need another opinion. What you need is to back yourself. Even if your voice shakes. Even if the first step is small. When you decide that you are ready, everything shifts.
Final Reflections
Being stuck doesn’t mean you’re lazy or lost. It often means you’ve been over-relying on what’s outside of you, instead of turning toward what’s already true within you.
The shift starts when you stop consuming and start creating. When you stop stalling and start moving. When you stop asking for permission and start trusting yourself.
That’s when momentum returns. That’s when clarity arrives. That’s when you get to remember, you were never actually stuck. You were just waiting for your own green light.
Here for the links that may have been referenced in the show or is complementary to this episode.
- Podcast – Ep 149: Why Business Feels Hard, and How to Change It
- Podcast – Ep 75: Fear in Business and Self-Trust
- Podcast – Ep 83: Trauma Awareness and Personal Responsibility
More in-depth content and resources:
- Blog Post – Holding Shadow in Sacred Business
