What’s Really Keeping You Stuck Isn’t What You Think?
"So… what’s really keeping you stuck?”
That’s how the conversation started.
I paused.
Tried to explain my situation… my options… my confusion.
But honestly, I was going in circles.
Saying things that sounded right… without really saying anything real.
My coach listened.
No interruption. No rush.
And then he asked,
"What are you avoiding right now?”
That question felt different.
I hesitated.
Then gave a safe answer.
He didn’t move on.
Instead, he asked again more quietly this time,
"If you’re completely honest… what do you already know?”
Silence.
Because somewhere… I knew.
I just wasn’t ready to say it out loud.
He continued, gently,
"Is it lack of clarity… or discomfort with the decision?”
And that’s when something shifted.
It wasn’t confusion.
It was discomfort.
The kind that comes when you know the answer…
but don’t like what it demands from you.
Discomfort of letting go.
Of choosing differently.
Of stepping into something uncertain.
Maybe you’ve felt this too.
When everything looks like "I need more clarity”…
but deep down, you’re avoiding a decision you already understand.
We often tell ourselves we’re stuck because we don’t know enough.
But sometimes, we already know.
We’re just not ready to act on it.
Then came the question that stayed with me:
"What is one next step you’re willing to take… without needing the full plan?”
Not a perfect answer.
Not a detailed roadmap.
Just a real next step.
That changed everything.
Since then, I’ve found myself in similar phases more than once.
And each time, I’ve reached out to a coach, a mentor, someone who can hold space and ask the right questions.
Even today, I do.
Because clarity doesn’t always come from thinking more.
It often comes from being asked better questions.
Questions that make you pause.
Look inward.
And acknowledge what you’ve been avoiding.
If you’re feeling stuck right now…
Maybe you don’t need more answers.
Maybe you already have them.
Maybe what’s missing is the willingness to face them.
So here’s something to sit with
What do you already know…
that you’re not acting on?
This is something I explore often in my coaching conversations
not giving answers, but helping uncover the ones already within.
Guiding professionals to realign, grow, and lead with impact
With purpose. With heart. From one human to another.
Rakesh Verma
