Penny Casselman:
If we can elevate our awareness of being stuck, accept where we are in the process, and pose that question, what action can I take today that will help kick me out of this stuck loop? Maybe it's asking for help. There are so many small modifications, small actions that you can take that will help pull you out of a stuck loop. If you are ready to stop circling the exact same path and start making real progress, this director is your sign to take action. Welcome to the Pivot with Passion podcast. Hi. I'm Penny Casselman. I believe everyone is deserving of a phenomenal life. Regardless of where you came from, life is what you make of it.
Penny Casselman:
And when you learn to pivot with passion, your world explodes with opportunities. Go grab your favorite beverage, and let's shake things up as we explore how to pivot with passion. Welcome back, director. Have you ever felt like you're spinning your wheels but going nowhere? Like, you're this big monster truck and you're in the mud. And the more you spin your wheels, the deeper you sink. Thinking, if I just spin my wheels faster, I know at some point, I'll shoot out of this mud hole and continue on my journey. But don't we know that is always the opposite of what happens? It can feel like Groundhog Day. You know that movie with Bill Murray where he wakes up again and again and again facing the exact same day, but under different circumstances every single time.
Penny Casselman:
And that's what we don't want. That's right. Being stuck is no fun. Maybe, like me, you have found yourself focused on all the things that you haven't done instead of celebrating what you've accomplished. The reason behind me feeling stuck last month was this. Everything I do, my podcast, my weekly newsletter, reaching out to people for speaking opportunities, every one of these things is a long game. There are very few actions that I take that deliver immediate results. And maybe you have a situation in your life that feels similar.
Penny Casselman:
So today, I'm diving in to why we stay stuck, how we can spot the loop that we may find ourselves in, and more importantly, how to break free and move forward with clarity. Here are a few thoughts to set the stage for our conversation today. What is a stuck loop? A stuck loop is nothing more than repeating patterns. So if you have found yourself coming up against the same frustrations or taking action after action only to look around a day, a week, a month, a year later, and discover how have I been so busy. But when I look around, nothing looks different. I don't want to be in a stuck loop. And the quicker you can recognize when you're in one, ah, the quicker you can take some corrective action and get out of it. So why do we get stuck? I know for me, a lot of it comes down to fear.
Penny Casselman:
Our mind creates stories to keep us safe. You know it. I know it. Oftentimes, the things that we are fearful of aren't real, and they will never happen. But those things can keep us like that big monster truck in the mud, spinning our wheels because we won't change perspective or take a different action. For instance, here are some common signs that you might be stuck in a loop. Maybe you find yourself making the exact same excuses when an obstacle gets in your way. Maybe you're avoiding making a choice.
Penny Casselman:
Maybe you've told yourself, I'll start next week, only to tell yourself the following week, maybe I'll start next week. What happens in a stuck loop is we seemingly focusing on things that don't help us move towards the phenomenal life that we deserve, to help us take that first uncomfortable, messy first step towards action. I mentioned that I have found myself recently in a stuck loop. But here's the beauty of embracing personal development, and that is this. You become quicker at identifying when you're stuck, which allows you to more quickly course correct and take a different action. Even if you have found yourself in a pattern of a stuck loop for months, today is the day, director, that you get to pick up your red marker and say, I am no longer allowing myself to sit in the mud and spin my wheels. Today is the day we think about how to get unstuck and how to claim that phenomenal life. Because remember, you cannot pivot with passion inside your life without first claiming a red marker moment.
Penny Casselman:
That's right. You have to choose that where you're at is not supporting where you want to be. Ouch. Sometimes that one can really bite you because that requires you to get vulnerable. That requires you to maybe raise your hand and say, yeah. I'm not showing up as the best version of myself, or I haven't been holding myself accountable to what I'm really wanting. I know that when you pick up your red marker, when you recognize the power that you already possess to change your life, the minute you make a declaration, the minute you choose to break your stuck loop, the world starts presenting so many opportunities for you to take advantage of and claim your phenomenal life. It's time for a clarity cocktail.
Penny Casselman:
I'm so excited for this clarity cocktail. It's cheeky. It's fun. It comes from a comedian. His name is Mitch Hedberg, and he shares this. An escalator can never break. It can only become stairs. You should never see an escalator temporarily out of order sign.
Penny Casselman:
Just escalator temporary stairs. Sorry for the inconvenience. Woah. I love that. Mitch points out that an escalator, even when it's not working, isn't truly broken because it can still be used for its intended purpose. And that is to take individuals from one level of a building up or down to a different level. I cannot tell you how many times I have stood at the base of a broken escalator and thought, how dare this escalator break down when I need it? I don't think I ever once said, oh, well look at that. I wasn't anticipating a flight of stairs.
Penny Casselman:
No. I looked at it as broken. And this really hit me because I thought, how often do we catastrophize things or miss opportunities because we don't appreciate that if something isn't quite working as we thought, it doesn't mean that it's a lost cause that we have to look to something different. It is simply a matter of shifting perspectives. So where in your life are you waiting for the quote perfect time to do something instead of just taking action? Or letting something that seems to be an obstacle stay an obstacle when it's really not. I'll read the quote again. An escalator can never break. It can only become stairs.
Penny Casselman:
You should never see an escalator temporarily out of order sign. Just escalator temporary stairs. Sorry for the inconvenience. So I'll ask again, where in your life are you waiting for the perfect time or letting something that seems to be an obstacle stay an obstacle? Maybe you simply need to look at what's in front of you like an escalator. It may not be operating at its, quote, initial intended way, but it doesn't mean that you can't still use it or shift your perspective and get to where you want to go. And now back to the episode. Cheers. Circling back to thoughts on how to break free from a stuck loop, I wanna share with you three ways that you can build clarity and momentum so that you are not becoming a monster truck that's stuck in a mud pit, but in instead, one that's already out and on its way to the success finish line.
Penny Casselman:
The first way, choose before structure. What does that mean? It means that you don't have to have all the answers in order for you to take that first step. You just have to pick up your red marker and choose to take action. Choose to believe in yourself or choose to hold a vision in front of you. Once you do that, then you will figure out the structure that you need to follow. The second idea is take small intentional action. Momentum comes from movement, not from waiting. When I was a kid, I loved jungle gyms, especially ones with swings.
Penny Casselman:
And I loved to pump my legs and get that swing going so high. The wind rushing in my face, the pull of the swing once I reach the top. When I would first sit on the swing, you had to pump your legs hard back and forth and push off the ground to gain the momentum. But once you got high enough, I just barely had to swing my legs because gravity started to work with what I was doing. And then it was just joyful, the entire experience, but that first little bit took some effort. And the third thing is commit to progress, not perfection. Again, clarity grows through action, not overthinking. And I've recently given a reboot to my weekly communication.
Penny Casselman:
And side note, if you're not on my list, hop over to my website, get yourself on it. It comes out every Thursday. There's a lot of effort involved. I do not have a solid routine yet for putting them out, and I feel really rusty writing them out and communicating with you. So, of course, the second email I sent this year, which was just two days ago, went out with the typo. And I noticed it probably one minute after I hit send to my entire list. Now what I wanna share about that experience is I was okay with it. The penny five years ago would have freaked out that something left with a typo.
Penny Casselman:
But the penny today, I was like, alright. Learning curve. Got it out. Got my check mark. Not holding myself to an unreasonable level of perfection. Because one, perfection doesn't exist. And two, I know I'll get better. I will get into a better cadence, a better groove in pulling these together and getting them out on time.
Penny Casselman:
And so it's actually kind of exciting. And I celebrated the fact that I was able to let that typo go and not obsess over it. I'm committed to progress because it's all in pursuit of me showing up every single day as the best version of myself. And director, I want the same for you. Please remember, you are human, and humans are not perfect as much as some of them believe they are. Yes. We will all make mistakes. I make mistakes raising my hand here.
Penny Casselman:
But I'm okay with it because I'm in the process of evolving. And that's exciting. And I want you to come along with me. My challenge for you this week is this. What action can you take today that will help break you free from a stuck loop? Because I'm just guessing that you find yourself in one somewhere in your life. It may be something that is seemingly inconsequential, but here's the thing. Your subconscious will always pester your brain when it's in a stuck loop. If we can elevate our awareness of being stuck, accept where we are in the process, and pose that question.
Penny Casselman:
What action can I take today that will help kick me out of this stuck loop? Maybe it's saying no to something. Maybe it's looking at your calendar and setting aside time for you to be productive. Maybe it's setting aside time just to be quiet with yourself. Maybe it's installing a new habit that supports your momentum. Maybe it's asking for help. There are so many small modifications, small actions that you can take that will help pull you out of a stuck loop. If you are ready to stop circling the exact same path and start making real progress, this director is your sign to take action. Now, look, if you are thinking, I have no idea where to start, or you're feeling distracted every time you sit down to focus on how you can move yourself forward, but you're coming up short, director, in the show notes on my website, go grab yourself the ultimate get unstuck guide for deeper guidance.
Penny Casselman:
In less than thirty minutes, you can follow the prompts, assess your situation, and get yourself moving with momentum in the direction of a phenomenal life. And, hey, maybe you've got it all together. Maybe you are like, I am slaying life right now, and that does not apply to me. Maybe you know someone who could benefit from the guide or listening to this episode. And if that's the case, I would humbly ask that you share this information with someone that you know. Because why not be the hero to one of your friends this week after they listen to the podcast or do the guide and get themselves unstuck? Director, remember, you cannot pivot with passion without first claiming a red marker moment. This is your permission slip to stop settling for fine and start seeing all the opportunities in front of you. It's time today to take action and step into your phenomenal life.
Penny Casselman:
Friend, thanks for listening to this episode of Pivot with Passion. If you've been feeling stuck, exhausted, or frustrated, this is your permission slip to go grab a red marker and claim the life you desire and deserve. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend and then hop over to rate and review the show on Apple Podcast Because my goal is to put a red marker in everyone's hand, and I need your help to spread the word and make that happen. Until the next episode, go grab a red marker. Get excited for your future, and make your first move to pivot with passion.
