We have all been there! We have started the process and we are moving forward, and then we hit a plateau. It can be weight loss, a spiritual practice, a career endeavor, or a home makeover. You feel stuck and don’t want to go back to how things were before, but you feel discouraged and perhaps bored and uninspired. What should you do?

A plateau is a wonderful point from which to reevaluate your initial plans, goals, or commitments. Could you get excited about making some changes that would bring your goals to life? Could you, for example, hire a personal trainer, add delicious new foods to your healthy diet, take a trip, add new items to your original career plan, hire a coach, ask for help, or read an inspiring new book?

At this point in the change process, it’s important to celebrate the progress you’ve already made. From this point of view, you can review the next leg of your journey to assess whether you are on a course that still resonates with you. If not, recreate your vision based on past successes. This is what happened to me with my career. I first engaged in social work and worked with different populations (such as the elderly, children, people with developmental problems, immigrants, homeless, etc.) at different times to develop my skill level. I became known for my play therapy with children and wrote and read about those techniques. Later, I got my doctorate in coaching (based on my first two degrees in social work). I specialized in coaching with women and then I specialized more in working with metaphysically minded women from all over the world. Each step was a point to reevaluate and make educational and professional development plans. Following your interests and looking for exciting ways to build the foundation for your life expressions can be a creative challenge. However, when stagnation occurs, try to find creative ways to move forward with passion.

Sometimes the plateau is here to help us. It is a time of integration, reflection and reevaluation. Trying to fight the plateau by running forward can backfire. Consider the possibility of feeling trapped, unmotivated, and uninspired in your meditation and prayer practices. Ask the plateau what it is trying to tell you, listen carefully and acknowledge these ideas. Take action if necessary. Carl Jung told us that the psyche is always trying to heal itself. How are you trying to heal and help your plateau?