Get a Push

Is there someone in your consulting firm or on the outsidewho can get you started on your stuck task?

Maybe a writer can knock out a first draft, your assistantcan set up an analysis template, or a colleague can source a sample consultingdeliverable from Google or Flevy that you can adapt to your needs.

A friend, spouse, subordinate, partner or virtual assistantcan make a phone call for you if you have trouble picking up the phone, thentransfer the call to you.

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 (andsome you can’t imagine) to others, freeing you to pour your energy into theclimb.

Practically, this means transferring many of the tasks onyour to-do list that don’t weigh you down. Ironically, easy tasks and smallobstacles may be stealing the energy you need for your most difficultchallenges.

In this strategy, you’re enlisting someone else 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 backof someone else’s car and letting them drive you to the top.

“That’s cheating!” you protest. Uhm, who cares? Yourobjective is to reach the top, accomplish your goal, complete your task, andpamper the Danish royals.

Hire a freelancer, a contractor, an agency, a consultant, aghostwriter, a programmer, a babysitter or whoever else is appropriate for haulingyour 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 takeover the stuck task.

Turn Around, Go Downhill

What happens if you temporarily abandoned your recalcitrantgoal or to-do while you double down on the work that’s going well? I can tellyou:

You enjoy increased momentum and progress. You accelerateyour personal growth and your consulting firm’s success.

Then, you can 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 killerresults that jazz your internal engines. When you return to the hill, you can startwith high velocity and manage your climb better.

The idea here is to harness your personal gravity by focusing first on the tasks and projects you’re already moving forward.

Walk Away

Here’s an idea: drop the bike and walk away. Leave the hill.Abandon the goal. Who needs those royal Danish anyway?

When you or your consulting firm is not making progress on agoal, 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 entertainingthe King of Denmark has been on your to-do list for three years and you’re notwilling to jump on one of the four strategies above, maybe it’s time to setthose goals aside.

You can always revisit them later.

This strategy is about conversing honestly with yourself and accepting reality. Invest in being the best consultant you can be, and stop chasing the best consultant you think you “should” be.