Hey friend👋,

Let me be honest with you…

When I’m stuck on something, I don’t turn into this “calm, strategic” person that people talk about on the internet.

Most times, it starts with me staring at the screen like:

“Okay… so what exactly am I supposed to do with this?”😅

But over time, I noticed I follow a kind of pattern - not intentionally - just something my brain does on its own.

And I’ve realized it actually helps me get out of that stuck place faster.

So I want to share it with you, just the way it happens in real life.

1. First, I panic a little (just a little😭)

I can’t lie.

Whenever I’m confused about something - an email, a task, a message I need to send - my first reaction is not wisdom.

It’s confusion mixed with stress.

But here’s what I’ve learned:

That small panic is just my brain saying,

“This is new. Give me a second.”

So now I let myself feel it, and I don’t force myself to “be calm.”

2. Then I break the problem into “what exactly is the real issue?”

This part is so simple you’ll think it’s nothing.

But it works.

I ask myself one question:

“What part of this is confusing me?”

Example:

When I was setting up my ConvertKit sequence, I wasn’t stuck on the whole platform.

I was stuck on ONE tiny thing:

“Where do I connect the signup to the sequence?”

Once I realized it was just that one thing, the stress reduced.

Because now it wasn’t “I don’t understand ConvertKit.”

It was just “I don’t understand this one setting.”

That’s a big difference.

3. Then I look for the next small step - not the whole solution

When I say “next step,” I mean the smallest one possible.

Something that doesn’t overwhelm me.

Examples:

If I’m writing an email → I just start with the first line.

If I’m doing outreach → I write the first sentence.

If I’m planning content → I just choose the topic, nothing more.

Once I do that one thing, more clarity usually shows up.

Not because I suddenly got smarter - it’s because my brain finally has something to work with.

4. If I’m still stuck, I ask someone or find an example

I’m not going to pretend.

Sometimes the answer isn’t in my head.

Sometimes someone else has the clarity I don’t have yet.

So I either ask, or I look at someone who already solved something similar.

Not to copy - just to understand the pattern.

Even with sales emails, sometimes the breakthrough isn’t “inspiration”…

It’s seeing a simple example and saying,

“Ohhhh, that’s how they structured it.”

That alone can remove stress.

5. Finally, I come back with a clear head.

When I’ve done all the above and I’m STILL not getting it…

I leave it alone

Even 10 minutes away helps.

Because sometimes the problem is not the problem.

it’s the pressure you’re putting on yourself.

When I come back, things that looked confusing before suddenly look normal.

And I’m like,

“Wow, so it wasn’t that deep.”

Why am I sharing this?

Because everywhere online, people talk about problem-solving like they’re machines.

Me, I’m not a machine.

I’m just someone trying to figure things out step by step - the same way you are.

And honestly, sometimes the most helpful thing to read is not a perfect formula…

but someone’s real process.

So that’s mine.

Not fancy.

Not motivational.

Just real and useful.

Till next week,

Susan💛