How to Master the Art of Getting Unstuck
President and CEO Lauren Parker breaks down five strategies for prioritizing momentum over perfection to keep delivering your best.
By Lauren Parker, President and CEO
When I started my career nearly 20 years ago, I dove headfirst into the agency world and never looked back. Over that time, I’ve watched colleagues take detours into corporate comms, non-profits, or the freelance life, but I never grew tired of the "never-a-dull-moment" rhythm that defines Slide Nine.
There are many reasons why I’ve stayed on this side of the house, but the primary driver has always been the intellectual agility required. Diving deep into multiple brands across a variety of industries every single day isn’t for the faint of heart. One hour, you’re navigating the regulatory nuances of a healthcare launch; the next, you’re in a high-stakes strategy session for a fintech disruptor or a global manufacturer. It’s riveting, but it’s also demanding.
To thrive in this environment, you have to develop a specific kind of muscle memory: the ability to never stay stuck for long. In an agency, "spinning your wheels" isn't just a personal frustration — it’s a bottleneck for the team and the client. According to workplace productivity research, the average professional loses over 2 hours a day to "mental blocks" and distractions. In our world, we don't have that kind of time to waste.
If you’ve ever found yourself paralyzed without a plan for how to move forward, here are my go-to strategies for breaking through the wall and regaining your momentum:
Moving to a new location isn't just about a better view; it’s about neuroplasticity. When you change your physical environment, you trigger the brain’s "novelty centers," which release dopamine and encourage creative problem-solving.
If you’re stuck at your desk, move to a cafe, a lounge area, or even just a different chair. A study by Stanford researchers found that walking — even indoors — increases creative output by an average of 60%.
When a project feels overwhelming, it’s usually because it’s trapped in your head as a chaotic "to-do" list. You need to externalize it. Anyone who knows me knows I love a whiteboard. Grab a marker and use your hands. Don’t worry about perfection; draw the flow, map the stakeholders, or scribble the "ugly" first draft of the headline. Visualizing complex problems reduces cognitive load, allowing your brain to see patterns you might have missed while staring at a blinking cursor.
If 10 minutes of staring at a screen hasn't yielded a breakthrough, 10 more minutes won't either. Get up and move your body. A quick brisk walk outside does more than clear your lungs. It breaks the "looping" thought patterns that cause stagnation. Physical movement has been shown to lower cortisol levels, which are often the primary culprit behind "writer's block" or strategic stalling.
Don't suffer in silence. In an agency, our greatest asset is the collective IQ of the full team. Pull a teammate aside and explain the problem in 60 seconds. Often, simply articulating the challenge out loud helps you find the solution yourself.
Getting stuck is a natural part of the creative process, but staying stuck is a choice. At Slide Nine, we prioritize momentum over perfection. By changing your state — physically, visually, or socially — you can turn a mental roadblock into a breakthrough.