What is a Plateau?

Have you ever felt like you’ve hit a wall in achieving something you’re working towards? You might be stuck in a plateau.

In its simplest definition, a plateau is a period of little to no progress in reaching a desired result despite your best efforts. It’s a natural part of any journey and can happen for any number of reasons, yet recognizing and understanding what it is and what to do about it will help you conquer it.

Signs of a Plateau

When you’re in a plateau, the most common sign is the progress you’ve made towards your goal is slowing down or stopping. You might be in the process of losing weight, learning a new skill, or aiming to be promoted at your job and while your efforts have been consistent and you’ve seen improvement in the past, suddenly your results start to become stagnant.

You might also feel a lack in motivation, a lack of direction, and a feeling that your efforts are wasted. These are all part of a plateau, as challenging your status quo is one of the most difficult parts of achieving your goal.

Overcoming Plateaus

The first step in overcoming a plateau is to understand why you’ve hit one in the first place. Assessing your resources and pinpointing what’s not working can help you identify the root of your plateaus and make changes to overcome it.

If the plateau is due to a lack of resources, it’s important to create a plan to acquire those resources. Educate yourself to increase your skill set, ask colleagues or friends for advice, or discuss ways to get the most out of certain tools.

Second, make sure to not be too hard on yourself. Acknowledge the progress you have made and celebrate your successes no matter how small they may be. It’s easy to get discouraged and feel like you’re not getting any closer to where you want to be, but taking the time to celebrate your progress can give you the boost of assurance and motivation that you need to keep pushing forward.

Finally, it’s important to reassess your goal. Make sure your goal is still fitting your lifestyle and timeline and if necessary, reassess and readjust your expectations and/or timeline.

Conclusion

Understand that a plateau is part of the journey and not something to be disheartened about. Working through a plateau and taking the opportunity to grow and learn from it can help you reach your goals and be better prepared for future plateaus should they arise. You got this, keep pushing forward and you’ll be sure to make it out of the plateau and over the finish line in no time.