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🎙 Podcast Title:
The Next Right Step: When You Feel Stuck, Start Here
🎧 Podcast Script:
[Intro]
Hi friend, and welcome back to Running to Myself.
I’m your host, Trisha Stanton—and as always, I’m so glad you’ve joined me today.
This episode is for anyone who feels a little overwhelmed… a little uncertain… maybe even stuck.
You might be in the middle of a life transition, a big decision, or just trying to make sense of things that feel messy or unclear.
And if that’s where you are, let me start by saying:
You’re not broken. You’re not failing.
And you are not alone.
You’re just human—navigating a very human experience.
Today, we’re going to talk about how to get unstuck.
Not with pressure or hustle.
But with one small, powerful idea:
💭 What’s my next right step?
Let’s talk about why this question matters—and how you can use it to move forward, even when you’re not sure where “forward” leads.
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[Part 1: The Power of a Simple Question]
There’s a question I come back to again and again—both in my own life, and in my work as a coach:
“What’s my next right step?”
Not the five-year plan.
Not the perfect solution.
Not the full map with every detail laid out.
Just the next small, intentional move that aligns with who you’re becoming.
Because here’s what I’ve learned:
We don’t always find clarity first.
In fact, clarity often comes after we start moving.
It’s in the action—not the overthinking—that we find direction.
When you’re stuck, you don’t need the whole picture.
You just need the next step that feels true.
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[Part 2: Real Life Transitions – A Coaching Perspective]
In my coaching practice, I talk with clients every day who are standing at some kind of crossroads.
Some of them are stepping into exciting transitions—new jobs, new seasons of life, fresh purpose.
Others are facing hard things—burnout, grief, relationship shifts, loss, or uncertainty about what’s next.
But no matter the reason, the emotional response is often the same:
* Overwhelm
* Self-doubt
* A paralyzing pressure to “get it right”
* And that frustrating, foggy sense of being stuck
And here’s the kicker:
Most of the women I work with are incredibly capable.
They’re used to being the strong one. The go-to person. The high-functioning fixer.
But when they hit a season of stuckness, it throws everything off.
They tell me things like:
“I don’t even know what I want anymore.”
“I should have figured this out by now.”
“Why does this feel so hard when I’ve done harder things before?”
And that’s when I remind them:
You don’t have to stay stuck.
You don’t need a total reinvention.
You don’t need a 10-step plan.
You just need your next right step.
Because the moment you take that step—even if it’s small, even if it’s uncertain—you shift the energy.
You interrupt the spiral.
You signal to yourself, “I’m not helpless here. I can move.”
And that’s when the fog starts to lift.
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[Part 3: Trail Story – Getting Unstuck in the Middle of the Run]
Let me tell you a story that still sticks with me.
A few years ago, I was out on a solo run on a trail system I didn’t know very well. I had a general idea of where I was going, but at one point, the markers became confusing.
I paused.
I looked around.
I second-guessed everything.
Should I turn back? Keep going? Was I lost?
My first instinct was to go back to the last point where I felt sure.
But something in me said, “You’re not that far off. Just keep going a little further.”
So I did. I picked the most reasonable direction, walked slowly, and watched closely.
And then—I saw it. A familiar bend in the trail. A sign I recognized.
I wasn’t lost. I was just in the middle.
That moment taught me something that applies to so much more than running:
The next right step doesn’t always feel brave.
Sometimes, it feels unsure. Quiet. Almost hesitant.
But it’s the step that gets you where you need to go.
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[Part 4: Why We Feel Stuck]
Let’s dig into the psychology of stuckness for a moment—because I think it helps to understand what’s really going on.
We don’t usually get stuck because we’re lazy.
We get stuck because we’re overwhelmed.
Emotionally, mentally, logistically—we’re carrying too much.
We’re trying to hold all the outcomes, solve all the problems, please all the people… and eventually, our system just shuts down.
When we’re overwhelmed, our brain defaults to either/or thinking:
* “I have to do it perfectly… or not at all.”
* “I need to know everything before I can begin.”
* “If I get this wrong, it’s all going to fall apart.”
These thoughts don’t feel like lies.
They feel like pressure.
And most of the time, we don’t even realize we’re believing them—we just feel stuck.
Here’s what that often looks like:
* Procrastination
* Overanalyzing every option
* Numbing out with distractions
* Comparing our stuckness to someone else’s success
* Telling ourselves we’ll figure it out “later”
But here’s the truth I want you to hear clearly:
Feeling stuck is often the result of believing something that isn’t true.
Beliefs like:
* “I have to do this alone.”
* “If I don’t have it all figured out, I shouldn’t start.”
* “Everyone else knows what they’re doing—what’s wrong with me?”
* “I should already be past this.”
These aren’t facts.
They’re fear-based beliefs that feel true—but they’re keeping you in place.
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[Part 5: What Gets Us Moving]
So what breaks that cycle?
Not willpower. Not a new planner. Not even motivation.
What gets us moving… is a shift in belief.
When we stop asking:
“How do I do it all?”
and start asking:
“What’s just one small thing I can do next?”
When we stop saying:
“I need to be sure before I act.”
and start believing:
“I’m allowed to learn as I go.”
When we shift from:
“I have to fix everything…”
to
“I just need to move forward from here.”
That’s when the fog begins to clear.
That’s when you build trust with yourself—not by knowing everything—but by taking action anyway.
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[Part 6: Coaching Practice – Helping Clients Break It Down]
With my clients, I often say:
“You don’t need a full plan.
You just need to take the next step that feels honest and doable for you.”
And that step? It looks different for everyone.
* For one client, it was finally having a hard conversation.
* For another, it was scheduling an appointment she’d put off for months.
* For someone else, it was choosing rest—even when productivity felt safer.
You don’t have to feel ready.
You don’t have to be certain.
You just have to move.
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[Part 7: My Own Reflection]
And listen—I use this in my own life, too.
When I feel unsure in my business…
When I’m navigating something personal…
When I’m overwhelmed or drained or spinning in decisions…
I come back to that same question:
“What’s my next right step?”
And you know what?
Sometimes it’s a nap.
Sometimes it’s sending the uncomfortable email.
Sometimes it’s going for a run.
Sometimes it’s sitting quietly and just asking God, “What do I need to hear right now?”
The answer is almost always simple.
And powerful.
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[Part 8: Your Next Step]
So now I want to invite you to ask yourself:
What’s your next right step?
Not the one that fixes everything.
Not the one that proves your worth.
Just the next step that gets you unstuck.
Maybe it’s reaching out for support.
Maybe it’s putting something on the calendar.
Maybe it’s giving yourself permission to pause—to not have it all figured out.
Whatever it is—name it.
Own it.
Take it.
You don’t need to be fearless.
You just need to move in faith.
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[Outro – Coaching Invitation]
If this conversation resonated with you… if you’re in a season where life feels unclear, heavy, or uncertain—and you’re tired of navigating it alone—I’d love to support you.
I offer one-on-one coaching for women who are walking through transitions and want to move forward with more clarity, purpose, and self-trust.
If that’s you, let’s talk.
📲 You can send me a message or schedule a free consultation at https://www.trishastanton.com.
You don’t need to know the whole plan.
You just need your next right step.
And I’d be honored to walk with you as you take it.
Thanks for listening—and for running with me.
Until next time,
keep showing up for the version of you you’re becoming.
