You're in the middle of a project when suddenly moving forward seems impossible.
Maybe you don't know what the next step is.
Or perhaps you've faced setbacks, and you're starting to think, "what's even the point?" Many of us have experienced feeling stuck.
It can happen when tackling something as simple as a term paper, or as monumental as social inequality or the climate crisis.
So, are there ways to get unstuck?
People often report feeling highly motivated at the start and end of a project, but the middle can feel untethered.
Psychologists call this the "stuck in the middle" effect, and it's thought to be caused by a shift in perspective that happens as you move closer to your goals.
When you start working towards something, any progress can feel like a win, as we tend to compare ourselves against where we started.
For example, when someone starts training for a marathon, accomplishing even a short jog can feel motivating.
But the longer you work on something, the more likely it is that your focus shifts to your end goal.
