Do you ever feel like you're spinning your wheels? No matter how hard you try, you're just not making progress.

Often, we put forth the effort, but still aren't moving forward because we lack one important thing: Traction.

There's truth in the adage, "to go fast, you must first slow down." Slowing down helps us gain traction and traction allows us to stop spinning those wheels.

Here are seven ways I gain traction to move forward with a project, problem, or just my life in general:

1. Take a walk. Preferably in nature, away from traffic, noise, and other distractions.

2. Listen to music. Music helps me reset my mind and shift my patterns of thinking. Lately, I’ve been listening to jazz playlists on Spotify to help me focus and reset.

3. Read. When I'm stuck I reach for something totally unrelated to the project I'm working on. Perhaps I’ll browse a collection of poetry, a biography, or a selection of quotations. My recent favorite for getting unstuck is Garner’s Quotations.

4. Reach out to a past colleague or client. For me, simply having a conversation is a great way to find motivation and get unstuck.

5. Revisit a successful project. Often the secret to moving forward with a current project is remembering what worked in my last successful one.

6. Conduct an accomplishment inventory. Listing wins and accomplishments is a good idea anytime, especially when I’m in a cycle of feeling stuck.

7. Sleep. My wheels may spin because I’m too exhausted or sleep-deprived to see my way forward. A quick nap or a few extra hours of sleep each night may be just what I need to get forward momentum.

What are some of the ways you gain traction to move forward when you feel like you’ve been spinning your wheels?

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