We all get stuck.
Stuck for an idea, stuck in a rut or stuck in our career to name a few stuck situations.
And yet, for something that happens to everyone do we really have a fast, simple way to get unstuck?
The answer in no, until now?
People don’t get stuck because they lack intelligence, motivation, or talent.
I believe it is something else.
But lets first introduce a few new concepts, metaphors and language.
In the language of Switch Thinking, we have two modes:
Box Mode: Structured, linear, comfortable, worked in the past, reliable (like a box).
Ball Mode: Fun, colourful, imaginative and playful (like a Ball).
My suggestion is that we get stuck because when pressure mounts we tend to over-commit to the thinking mode we’re already in.
If in Box Mode we stay in Box Mode.
If in Ball Mode we stay in Ball Mode.
When something matters — a meeting, conversation, presentation, decision, performance — the brain interprets it as risk.
That triggers a survival response.
And survival responses don’t encourage flexibility.
Our brain becomes more focused.
So instead of switching modes, people double down.
For example,
When someone is already in Box Mode and it’s an important moment, our thinking box doesn’t disappear — it gets smaller.
- More analysis
- More checking
- More rules
- More control
- More self-monitoring
- Less experimentation
- Less emotional range
Hence our thinking becomes:
- “Don’t get this wrong”
- “Stick to what’s safe”
- “Follow the structure”
- “Say the right thing”
Your thinking box becomes rigid.
This is why people:
- Over-prepare but underperform
- Sound flat or scripted
- Freeze despite knowing the material
- Default to logic when emotion is needed
- Miss the human moment
They aren’t failing.
They are over-using Box Mode under threat.
But what if, you are in Ball Mode and you are facing a key moment.
The opposite problem happens when someone is already in Ball Mode.
You stick to more Ball Mode thinking.
Under pressure, Ball Mode Thinking can become:
- Scattered
- Over-energised
- Unfocused
- Impulsive
- Over-talkative
- Idea-flooded
Your thinking becomes:
- “Say something clever”
- “Keep it interesting”
- “Don’t lose momentum”
- “Think on your feet — fast”
Instead of creativity, you get cognitive noise.
This is why people:
- Ramble
- Jump ideas
- Lose structure
- Overpromise
- Feel inspired but unclear
- Leave others confused
Again — not failure.
It’s Ball Mode without a switch back.
People get stuck because pressure pushes them deeper into one mode, not because they lack the other mode.
And most traditional advice makes this worse:
- “Calm down” (Box harder)
- “Think positive” (Ball harder)
- “Be confident” (intensify current mode)
- “Try harder” (dig in)
None of these encourage switching.
Switch Thinking on the other hand, offers a different approach:
It feels counterintuitive under pressure
Switching feels risky when something matters.
The brain prefers:
- Familiar pathways
- Proven patterns
- Predictability
So when stakes rise, the brain says:
“Stay where you are. Go deeper. Don’t change now.”
That’s why:
- Smart people freeze
- Creative people lose clarity
- Experienced people overthink
- Confident people suddenly doubt themselves
They are trapped by mode loyalty.
Switch Thinking introduces a radical but relieving idea:
You don’t need better thinking or more of the same thinking — you need different thinking.
And often:
You don’t need more time — you need to switch.
The power move in important moments isn’t:
- More preparation
- More confidence
- More effort
It’s recognising which mode you’re stuck in — and deliberately switching.
Why a Switch in Thinking works:
Switching works because it:
- Interrupts threat loops
- Activates a different neural network
- Restores flexibility
- Reduces pressure without removing importance
- Gives you choice
This is crucial:
Switch Thinking doesn’t remove pressure.
It lets you perform inside it.
Put simply,
We don’t get stuck because we can’t think — we get stuck because we won’t switch.
When something really matters, most of us don’t rise to the occasion — we shrink into a corner of our thinking.
Switch Thinking gives us a way out.
For example,
If you are stuck for a new solution to a problem, you can stay in Box Mode by trying to develop say a better idea or how to make an improvement on what already exists.
But these will not lead to a different idea.
Much better to switch your perspective (one of the 6 Switches);
How might a gardener see this situation? Or a bouncer at a night club?
Suddenly you have new eyes and new ideas.
Try this for 2 minutes.
Then you can switch back to Box Mode to evaluate.
The end result?
You can get unstuck – in minutes.
The key lesson?
Being able to switch your thinking – on demand is the single easiest and fastest way to get unstuck.
It’s not thinking harder or longer.
This makes the situation worse.
Just switch fro 2 minutes and explore a new territory.
Then switch back.