I found myself in an annoying state of hunger. I had a decent lunch, so I was confused by the stomach pangs. I stood in the kitchen, looking all around, asking myself, what do I want? I walked around the kitchen island like the cat poking at every cupboard door, looking for something to satisfy my appetite. I cooked some popcorn, but it was either too old, or I had cooked it too long. The smell told me I wasn’t hungry for that. I tossed it out. What was I hungry for? I went to the fridge and stared at each shelf. I kept looking and because I didn’t know what I wanted nothing satisfied.
I couldn’t find what I didn’t know I was looking for.
Sometimes these dissatisfied moments are not just experienced in my kitchen but also my living room. I scroll for minutes on social media without even noticing what I’m seeing. I rapidly hop between Audible, Kindle, podcasts, or Libby, my library app. My eyes searching for the answer to, What do I want (to read)? Because I didn’t know what I wanted, nothing satisfied.
How do you unstick the question of what do you want?
Do you remember the TV show, “Who wants to be a Millionaire?” Faced with increasingly difficult questions, If you got stuck with a question you couldn’t answer, you could use a lifeline. A lifeline was an option to help you find the answer. You could invite a friend on stage; you could have two of the four options removed; you could ask an expert for help and several others.
My favorite lifeline is phone a friend. I don’t even have to talk about my question. Just talking to someone about their day helps me get unstuck in mine. A few other personal strategies involve moving. Walking around the block. Riding my bike. Heading to the garden and pulling some weeds. Meaningful action unblocks my thoughts and helps me feel some success in life.
What do you want is a question that isn’t answered once for all. I at least have begun to recognize when the question is forming by my restlessness. I also have found that skipping the question is no lifeline at all.
What helps you unstick when stuck trying to figure out what do you want?