David A. Fields Consulting Group Some task or goal has claimed permanent residence on your to-do list.
For instance, tracking consulting project profitability, writing a book, or winning a consulting project from the Danish royal family.
You’re stuck. Or your consulting firm is stuck.
Alternatively, perhaps some Godzilla task smashed its way to the forefront and the rest of your firm’s todo list was shunted to the side while you stand there, flummoxed and unmoving.
Perhaps it’s finishing tomorrow’s, huge, project deadline, or writing next week’s keynote speech, or cleaning the office before the Danish royal family arrives.
Whatever the task or goal, and whatever the reason, you’re stuck.
It’s like you’re at a complete standstill on a bicycle locked in 10th gear amidst a steep, uphill climb.
With flat tires.
In a thorn bush.
You may ask how you or your consulting firm arrived in this unfortunate situation, but don’t spend too much time contemplating why you’re on this particular hill, exhausted with a broken bike.
While root causes are nice to know, the time to contemplate is after you have some momentum.
Right now you need movement.
Five Strategies for Conquering Stuck Goals and Tasks
Get a Push
Is there a bot or a person who can get you started on your stuck task?
GenAI such as ChatGPT can knock out a first draft of a deliverable, an article, and even a menu appropriate for hosting Danish royalty… on bicycles.
Or, you could turn to a colleague, an assistant, or another consultant.
For instance, if you dread outreach, someone else can identify contacts in your Network Core and draft outreach emails for you. (Bots can do that too, of course.)
Using this strategy, you’ll still power your way up the hill, after you’re gifted a boost of energy from the outside.
Lighten the Load
If you’re carrying your entire consulting firm on your back, you may not be able to move anywhere.
No wonder you’re stuck!
Offload every task imaginable (and some you can’t imagine), freeing you to pour your energy into the climb.
Practically, this means transferring many of the tasks on your to-do list that don’t weigh you down.
Ironically, easy tasks and small obstacles may be stealing the energy you need for your most difficult challenges.
In this strategy, you’re turning to other people and automation to remove the thorns, pump up the tires and carry the panniers while you motor up to the summit.
Call an Uber
The ultimate in offloading is throwing your bike on the back of someone else’s car and letting them drive you to the top.
“That’s cheating!” you protest. Uhm, who cares?
Your objective is to reach the top, accomplish your goal, complete your task, and pamper the Danish royals.
Hire a freelancer, a contractor, an agency, a ghostwriter, a programmer, a babysitter or whoever else is appropriate for hauling your bike up the hill.
In this strategy, you’re throwing a bit of cash at the problem in the form of hiring someone else to take over the frozen task.
Turn Around, Go Downhill
What happens if you temporarily abandon your stalled goal or task and, instead, pour your energy into work that you’re already moving forward?
I can tell you what happens:
You enjoy increased momentum and progress.
You accelerate your consulting firm’s growth and success.
Then, you borrow that exhilarating speed to revisit your stuck goal and bust through the thorn bush.
Clear all the stuck tasks off your list and crank out A+ results that jazz your internal engines.
When you return to the hill, you can start with high velocity and manage your climb better.
This approach harnesses your personal gravity by focusing first on the tasks and projects you’re currently advancing.
Walk Away
Another possibility: drop the bike and walk away. Leave the hill. Abandon the goal.
Who needs those royal Danes anyway?
When you or your consulting firm are not making progress on a goal, it’s time to look in the mirror and ask a fundamental question:
Is this goal (or task) truly a priority?
If writing a book, tracking consultant utilization or entertaining the King of Denmark has been on your to-do list for three years and you’re not willing to jump on one of the four strategies above, maybe it’s time to set those goals aside.
You can always revisit them later.
This strategy is about conversing honestly with yourself and accepting reality.
Invest in being the best consulting firm you can be, and stop chasing the best consulting firm you think you “should” be.
There are many more, effective mechanisms for unsticking yourself or your consulting firm.
What are your strategies for getting unstuck?
Text and images are © 2025 David A. Fields, all rights reserved.
I’ve used David’s “Turn Around, Go Downhill” strategy quite often when I’m at an impasse with a particular challenge. Putting the major issue aside temporarily and tackling some easier to solve problems often seems to clear your mind so you can tackle the major issue with a fresh perspective. Try it, it can work!
Thank you for the endorsement of that approach, Roger. Hearing that it works for you will encourage many other readers to give it a shot. Well done!
When I am stuck, I take a break, leave my desk, or go on a walk. Sometimes I think of a solution to the problem or the mental block within moments after leaving my desk.
That’s a smart practice, Ruth. Some folks go for a run, or take a shower, or enjoy a power nap. Anything that unstucks you is worth its weight in gold. I appreciate your sharing the method that works for you!
Great suggestions! One tactic I use is blocking time on my calendar and asking my EA to hold me accountable. It helps me follow through on tasks I might otherwise ignore.
Asking your EA to hold you accountable (a.k.a. Walking the Dog Backwards) is an excellent method for ensuring unpleasant tasks get tackled. (Delegating them to said EA is another good method!)
Great to have you chiming in, Alexis!
David, I felt heard when I read this article. There are so many things that stay on the list day after day, week after week. After a while, you have to re-evaluate whether they are *really* that important.
Thank you for the encouragement, guidance, and support you provide to the consulting community at large (and to me!).
You ARE heard, Carol, because you deserve to be. It’s both scary and immensely freeing to let go of old to-dos that have become albatrosses hanging on our necks.
I also appreciate your kind feedback, Carol.
Thanks David. One thought that occurred to me (to your point whether this is really a priority) is that we (the collective consulting ‘we’) probably have advised clients on the prioritization of tasks (or risks) using “impact” or “likelihood” (of success). Going through one’s to-do list we could assess those characteristics, too.
Another thought: time is really about opportunity cost – what are or what could we be spending our time instead?
Two excellent thoughts, Christian. I like the idea of applying a success filter against your tasks and weeding out those modest-impact/low-likelihood tasks. That seems like an obvious win. Also totally agree about staying cognizant of the best use of your time.
Thank you for your excellent expansion on the article, Christian.