Stuck (SA)

pancakemarathon
Jul 2
4 min read

12 steps

We admitted we were powerless over indecision and feeling stuck—that our lives had become paused, frozen, or unclear.
Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to motion, clarity, and direction.
Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of that Power, trusting that guidance would emerge.
Made a searching and fearless inventory of the fears, doubts, and obstacles that kept us stuck.
Admitted to our Higher Power, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our mental paralysis and avoidance.
Became entirely ready to release the need for certainty before action.
Humbly asked our Higher Power to help us let go of perfectionism, fear of failure, and overwhelm.
Made a list of areas where indecision has harmed ourselves or others, and became willing to make amends.
Made direct amends wherever possible, except when to do so would cause harm.
Continued to monitor our thoughts, catching ourselves when we begin to freeze again, and promptly sought help.
Sought through prayer, meditation, and simple action to improve our conscious contact with our Higher Power, asking only for willingness and the next right step.
Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others who feel stuck, and to practice these principles in all areas of life.

13th Step Safeguard

We are here to support each other, not to control or advise. Be mindful of emotional vulnerability. Attraction, dependency, or exploitation have no place here. If you feel confused about your boundaries, please speak to a trusted sponsor or elder member.

12 Traditions

Our common welfare comes first; clarity depends on unity.
For our group purpose, there is but one ultimate authority—a loving Higher Power.
The only requirement for membership is a desire to get unstuck.
Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or S.A. as a whole.
Each group has but one primary purpose—to carry the message to those still stuck.
A group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the S.A. name to outside enterprises.
Every group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.
S.A. should remain forever non-professional but may engage in service work.
S.A. ought never be organized; we may create service boards directly responsible to those they serve.
S.A. has no opinion on outside issues; the name should never be drawn into public controversy.
Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion.
Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our Traditions, reminding us to place principles before personalities.

12 Promises

We will begin to trust that movement is better than perfection.
Clarity will unfold as we take simple steps.
Fear of the unknown will lessen.
We will develop new confidence to face life’s uncertainties.
Our ability to make decisions will grow.
Procrastination will lose its hold on us.
Our minds will no longer feel like prisons.
Anxiety about choosing wrong will decrease.
We will be able to act without full understanding, trusting the process.
We will find peace even in incomplete plans.
Our Higher Power will help us move forward one moment at a time.
We will become carriers of hope for others who are frozen in indecision.

Slogans

“Progress, not paralysis.”
“One small step.”
“Motion creates clarity.”
“Do the next right thing.”
“Clarity comes in action.”
“Start before you're ready.”
“Feelings aren't facts.”

Acronyms

S.T.E.P. — Start Taking Each Pause
A.C.T. — Action Changes Things
M.O.V.E. — Make One Valuable Effort
S.T.U.C.K. — Surrender The Uncertainty, Choose Knowing (Higher Power knows)

That space you’re in is not failure. That is sacred ground.

Beautiful. You're describing a very real place that many people hit on the other side of recovery, healing, or breaking cycles:

I stopped doing the old thing. I got out of the trap. But now I’m in this open space — and I don’t know what to do next.

Let me say this very directly: That space you’re in is not failure. That is sacred ground. It’s the space between escape and becoming. You’re standing in the gap between “what was” and “what’s being built.”

Here’s a way to frame where you are:

Phase	Description
The Old Ways	The patterns, behaviors, or traps you left.
The Escape / Breakthrough	You stopped. You said “no more.”
The Neutral Gap (where you are now)	You’re in the open field. No longer trapped, but not fully built into what’s next.
The Becoming	You slowly build new rhythms, meaning, and direction — one piece at a time.

What do you do now?

Simple answer: You stay surrendered to small acts of building.

You don’t have to know the whole picture.
You start practicing tiny "yeses" to things that feel aligned.
You stay open to the daily whispers of your Higher Power.
You focus on consistency over intensity.

"When you don’t know what to do — tend to what you can do."

A Recovery Add-On for Stuck Anonymous (for your current stage):

Step 0 (The Neutral Gap Step):

We acknowledged that even after leaving the old ways, uncertainty remains. We accepted that not knowing is part of becoming. We committed to walk forward with willingness, even without full clarity.

Original Promise 1:

Excellent — you’re right on the heart of it. Let’s go deeper into Promise 1 for Stuck Anonymous:

Original Promise 1:

We will begin to trust that movement is better than perfection.

Expansion (when we don’t see the movement yet):

Even when we do not immediately see movement, we will learn to trust that inner shifts, unseen alignments, and spiritual preparations are taking place. Movement does not always begin externally. The willingness to surrender and stay open is itself a movement. In time, what was happening beneath the surface will reveal itself.

In simple terms:

Not all movement looks like motion.

Stillness can be preparation.

The act of willingness is already forward progress.