The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single footstep, but what if you get lost on the way? What if there's no map to begin with? You've been going for so long, and the most advice you have gotten is simply: keep going. Keep going. The only way out is through, but if you're stuck somewhere, a dark thicket of some kind, you'd really rather know what "through" means. Is it going to be a few more days of this? A few weeks? The rest of your life? If you're hacking your way through a mire and there is no clear direction out, simply knowing that you have to get out of it isn't much comfort.
You wish there was an answer. You wish you had a teacher. Motivation, money, time. There are so many sinkholes in this bog and you've been here so long you're not sure if you have the strength to continue. When you see this little critter bouncing around on the branches above you, you may not like the answer he has; it's time to get uncomfortable.
Take stock of where you are in the bog; towards the beginning, the middle, or the end? You don't need to retrace your steps, but while you're waist-deep in the mud, it's not a bad idea to reflect on them. How far down did you trudge, what point made you feel lost? When you're taking that time to reflect, save your strength, and when you're up for it, get ready to pull your leg up from the sucking mud and move it forward. It might hurt. It might hurt a lot or a little, but it's okay. It's part of the process of getting un-stuck. Let the steps you've taken guide the ones you're about to take, every mistake, success, failure and moment has been bubbling behind you, and will help push you forward. Your past is your teacher. Your future is your student.
Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed this, you might like the Honest Monsters book with the first 100 monsters, or, if you're in Denver, CO, you can sign up for my workshop on how to confront your own monsters.