Time Management for Professionals

What to Do When You Feel Stuck in Your Business

By Demir & Carey Bentley · December 23, 2024 · 8 min read

What to Do When You Feel Stuck in Your Business
Do you feel stuck in your business?  Maybe you feel like you’re spinning your wheels, doing so much but getting nowhere… You’re working hard, but your income isn’t reflecting the effort… And you feel disconnected from the reason you started your business in the first place. Today, you’ll learn exactly how to get unstuck so you can… Carey and I know these strategies are effective because we’ve used them to grow our own seven-figure business – while working part-time and traveling all over the world. 🌎 Want to find out how? Let’s go! How to stop feeling stuck in business: 
  1. Take care of yourself 
  2. Shift your mindset
  3. Plan ahead and set goals
  4. Get support
  5. Outsource and automate 
  6. Make your business fun 
💡 Key takeaways:
LIFEHACK METHOD Champagne Moments workbook YOUR #1 PRIORITY
FreeWORKBOOK
Free Workbook

Get clarity about your #1 priority

A step-by-step guide of our Champagne Moment process to identify your #1 priority every week.

Instant download No spam

Why do you feel stuck in your business? 

A lot of things can make you feel stuck in your business.  For example, maybe you’re… If any of that sounds familiar, don’t worry – you’re not alone in feeling this way. In fact, 46% of small business owners feel stuck in their business. Small business owners feeling stuck The best thing you can do in this situation is take a step back and ask yourself, “Is this business aligned with my purpose? Is it right for me?” Sometimes,  you just need to tweak how you do things to suit the lifestyle you want.  So let’s talk about how to do that. Woman Writing on a Notebook Beside Teacup and Tablet

How do you get unstuck in business? 

Here’s the process to follow when you feel stuck in your business. 

1. Take care of yourself 

If you’re currently feeling stressed or burned out, the first step to getting unstuck is taking care of yourself.  At LifeHack Method, we call it radical self-care.  In short, this is all about preventing burnout before it happens.  So, instead of working 80-hour weeks and feeling like you’re always in over your head (that was me), radical self-care involves working less and taking the time you need to show up as the best version of yourself. Because when you do that, that’s when the breakthroughs happen.  But what does radical self-care involve exactly?  Here are a few examples: Radical self-care I talk more about the benefits of radical self-care in this video:

2. Shift your mindset to become motivated again

Now, let’s discuss a quick reframe that can help you when you’re feeling stuck and unmotivated: Instead of asking yourself, “How do I feel right now?” ask yourself, “Who do I want to be right now?”  This is effective because it helps you think of your ideal self rather than whatever negative emotions you’re having in the moment.  Because remember: If you wait to feel motivated before taking action, it’s going to be hard to reach your business goals.  But if you tell yourself that you’re going to just start, whether you’re feeling motivated or not, that discipline can help you build momentum.   Who do you want to be? Next, let’s see how planning ahead and setting goals can benefit you.

3. Plan ahead and set goals 

Want some great news?  Planning out your week ahead of time will help you get more done.  In fact, 94% of the thousands of professionals I surveyed agreed with that statement.  Planning ahead But here’s where it gets interesting…  When I asked those same professionals if they had actually planned out their week for four consecutive weeks, only 6% said yes.  Maybe you can relate to this. 
LIFEHACK METHOD Champagne Moments workbook YOUR #1 PRIORITY
FreeWORKBOOK
Free Workbook

Get clarity about your #1 priority

A step-by-step guide of our Champagne Moment process to identify your #1 priority every week.

Instant download No spam
So, how can you plan ahead and actually follow through?  Try these steps:
  1. Every week, take note of one thing you did that helped you be more effective, and then keep repeating it. 
  2. Prioritize tasks that will help you make the most progress long-term. 
  3. Examine your calendar. Really look at how you’re spending your time and ask yourself if it’s helping you reach your goals.
  4. Filter your to-do list based on what’s most important. 
  5. Allocate a set amount of time to everything you have to get done.
💡 Pro tip: Don’t overcomplicate planning ahead.  Why?  Because the simpler and easier it is, the more likely you are to actually do it – week after week.  And taking that consistent action is way more important than having the perfect plan that you never end up following. More on that in this video:

4. Get support

Look: When you’re feeling stuck, getting a coach or being part of a supportive community of people who’ve been in your shoes can be a game-changer.  And in our Lifehack Tribe membership community, we offer both to maximize your results.  Take our student Dietmar, for example.  Before taking our 60-day Lifehack Bootcamp, he felt stuck in his own business and wanted to build systems so he could travel with his kids and make passive income. And guess what?  By the end of our Bootcamp, he had reached his goal. 💪 Dietmar now works just 6 hours per week, and he’s told us that his estimated return-on-investment will be 600% in the coming year.  Not bad, right? And that’s not an isolated case.  Another student, Tim, was struggling with time management as an attorney. After the program, he reported saving 2 hours per day on average, which has led to massive growth in his practice. Next up: The power of outsourcing and automation. Woman Reading Documents at a Desk in Office

5. Outsource and automate

When done right, outsourcing and automation can save you a lot of time.  But maybe you’re thinking, “Demir, I’ve tried outsourcing before – and ended up wasting hours of my time making edits. It just didn’t work for me.” There are two possible explanations for that: So, to save time in the long run, be clearer than you think you need to be upfront.  And if you’ve explained everything in detail but you’re still not getting the quality of work you’re looking for, I’d just hire someone else. Okay, the second thing you can do to save time is use AI tools to automate.  For example, Carey and I are big fans of Asana.  It helps us organize everything from doctor’s appointments to work-related projects.  You can hear Carey talk more about Asana in this video:

6. Make your business fun

Finally, want to know one of the greatest things about having your own business?  You’re in charge of how you run it.  So, ask yourself, what do you want your business to look like?  Because let me tell you: You absolutely can have a successful business that’s also fun and rewarding. For example, in our business, Carey and I love turning productivity into a game.  Why?  Because when something is fun, it’s much easier to focus on the task at hand and get it done well.  In fact, we have a game that can save you a lot of time by drastically increasing your focus. We call it the “sticky focus game.”  Here’s how it works: ✅Step 1: Go to your calendar and add up all the time that isn’t currently scheduled by events or to-do’s. 📅 ✅Step 2: Once you know how much time you have to work with, take out a pack of sticky notes and use each note to represent one hour. ✅Step 3: On your sticky notes, write down the most essential tasks you need to finish, with the most important tasks listed first. ✅Step 4: Set a 50-minute timer. This is where the fun starts. The game is about staying laser-focused on the one task in front of you and getting as much done as you can in those 50 minutes. ⏲️ Sticky focus game rules To make this game easier, turn off distractions that can derail your progress (that includes notifications!) You’ll be surprised by how much you can get done when your attention isn’t divided.

What’s next? 

Okay, there you have it!  Now you know what to do when you feel stuck in your business. Want some extra help?  As business owners ourselves, Carey and I know that being an entrepreneur isn’t easy. That’s why we’re giving you our free PDF to help you win your week and get way more done. Grab yours here: 
LIFEHACK METHOD Champagne Moments workbook YOUR #1 PRIORITY
FreeWORKBOOK
Free Workbook

Get clarity about your #1 priority

A step-by-step guide of our Champagne Moment process to identify your #1 priority every week.

Instant download No spam
Read more: Best Productivity Hacks for Entrepreneurs (get more done)  Stop Saying “I Don’t Have Time!”  How to Overcome Overwhelm in Business Entrepreneur Mental Health and Burnout Statistics
Free Masterclass

Save 5, 10, even more hours a week — with one 30-minute ritual

Demir & Carey walk you through the Winning the Week Method®: the 30-minute weekly ritual our members use to reclaim hours every single week. Pick a time and watch.

FREE·~60 min·Pick a time
Written by

Demir & Carey Bentley

WSJ & USA Today bestselling authors of Winning the Week and founders of Lifehack Method. They help high performers get more done in less time, without burning out. More about us →

Want to win your week?

Take the 3-minute Stage Assessment to get your Lifestyle Freedom Score and a customized action plan.

Take the assessment
← Back to all articles