How Getting Stuck Can Be A Good Thing

In a world filled with content and “creative ideas,” generating one ourselves, especially as marketers, is getting more and more challenging. We are pressured to come up with something innovative and fresh that will stand out amongst all the million campaigns and advertisements out there. But what happens if you can’t think of anything? What do we do when our mind just goes blank? That feeling of being stuck is possibly one of the most annoying roadblocks any marketer or creative professional could ever face, especially when on a time crunch. But what if I tell you that bring stuck could actually be a sign that you are on the right track?

You are stuck because you aim high

First, let’s redefine what being stuck means. If you look at it at another angle, you are stuck because the ideas you have at present just doesn’t feel right or good enough. You know that things can be better or that there is potential to make whatever it is that you’re doing even greater. You don’t settle for less, so you push yourself to come up with unique and bolder ideas that’ll resonate with your audience.

These moments of frustration is a sign that you care about quality. You aim high and have standards as to what a good idea means, making yourself push harder until you reach your eureka moment. Yes, it truly is an annoying feeling being stuck. But with patience, a great outcome always comes out of it. Trust that amazing projects and campaigns are born from frustration or marketers being stuck for a while. So continue iterating, you’ll get your “aha” moment very soon for sure!

Taking breaks can be a powerful thing

Given the super fast-paced world we live in, marketers tend to fall under the “work work work”, “go go go”, hustle mindset. With this, we tend to force the creativity, which very often result to sad and unoriginal content that people don’t really engage with. And we don’t want that.

Research shows that turning off our brains and letting our bodies experience some downtime can be very beneficial, not just for our health, but also with our creativity. Step away for a bit and take a walk, grab a bite, play with your dog, do something that will take your mind off of things and give your mindless task at hand your full attention. It is a break we all deserve and is much needed from time to time. Before you know it, your subconscious mind is doing some work at the background and we just come up with our breakthrough idea just like magic. This is possibly the reason why many creative ideas come from the shower (I know I do).

Embrace being stuck

So, the next time you find yourself hitting a wall and staring at an empty document, always remember: being stuck is part of the process. Yes, it is okay to be stuck. In fact, embrace being stuck! That means you have standards, you care, and that you are on your way to producing something amazing. But in order to do that, give yourself permission to pause and recharge. If you feel stuck now (hence, possibly the reason why you are reading this article), I think it’s time to step away from the screen and do a mindless task.

Eureka moments always happen when you least expect it. In marketing, and even in life, getting stuck is not just a roadblock. It your path to greatness! Cheesy as it may sound, we both know that you are very close to your next breakthrough. I believe in you!