Overcoming the feeling of stagnation


Hey Reader,

It’s easy to feel dissatisfied despite achieving great success.

You leveled up in your career or business, a year or two have passed, but things now seem to have plateaued.

Many people struggle with this phase because they fail to see stagnation as a springboard for the next leap forward.

Today, we’ll discover how to harness the power of renewed vision for continued growth.

🗯️ The Parable of The Greyhound and The Rabbit

In a greyhound race, the dogs chase an artificial rabbit around the track.

The rabbit is always just out of reach, compelling the greyhounds to run faster and push their limits.

But what happens if a greyhound catches the rabbit?

Once, in a small town, a champion greyhound named Bolt managed to catch the rabbit.

The crowd cheered, the chase was over, but the excitement that fueled his every race vanished instantly.

With his goal achieved, Bolt found it hard to run with the same enthusiasm again.

This story illustrates the common feeling of stagnation after you achieve a milestone.

🧠 Expect To Plateau

It’s natural to feel stalled after ticking that goal off your vision board.

You’ve just leveled up.

You’ve achieved past visions, completed past levels, and made tons of progress that brought you to this new level.

Over time, some activities have become repetitive.

The repetition gets boring, leading to a sense of stagnation.

What was once a big dream has now become your reality.

So what do you do next?

❤️ Time To Dream Big Again

The key to unlocking stagnation is setting new, bigger visions to reignite your drive.

Catching the rabbit isn’t the end, it’s a signal to dream bigger.

It's not about 'I'll be happy when…'; it's rather about finding meaning and fulfillment in pursuing greatness.

Take a pause.

Imagine what is possible from this new level.

Visualize the details and the emotions of how you’d feel the impact and the results that will be delivered.

Re-connect with your “why” — to the very purpose you embarked on the initial journey.

Start to explore your next big vivid vision.

Feel the excitement of how far you’ve come, and what lies ahead.

That can break through the feeling of stagnation and fuel the next phase of growth.

You’ll realize you still have a whole new chapter of the journey ahead of you.

🤲 Renew Your Vision

I’ve been through the feeling of stagnation, and I understand the struggle.

Here are the 3 practices that helped me push through:

  1. Take some quiet time and reflect — now that you have achieved the success you aimed for, what is the next level? What should you do to take it to the next level as a business owner, or in the corporate world? What kind of job would you like to have? What new business would you like to create? Where do you want to live? What does your ideal family look like? It's critical to write them down in great detail. Really bring it to life.
  2. Now, think about a way you’d like to be reminded of this next-level vision every day — print it out, set it as a reminder on your phone, make it a screensaver on your laptop or device, or put it on a vision board.
  3. Act as if. Act as if the new vision is already a reality. Surround yourself with who you want to become — a mentor, a group, or a community of people who share the same vision or goals. Love and breathe it every day.

📈 Do You Feel Stagnated?

Ask yourself:

Has my past vision now become my reality?

What do I really want now?

Give yourself permission to dream BIG.

And then take decisive action.

As Brian Tracy says: “A clear vision, backed by definite plans, gives you a tremendous feeling of confidence and personal power.”

Finding joy in the process and staying connected to an inspiring vision is key to overcoming stagnation.

With appreciation,

Huw

PS: Feeling like you are yet to maximize your potential? Happy to guide you through crafting a compelling vision that fuels your journey. Feel free to reply to this email to get started with a Clarity Call.

Huw Edwards

Founder & CEO, h3.xyz

Whenever you're ready, there are 4 ways I can help you:

  1. The Career Clarity Compass: my flagship coaching program on how to find more purpose and fulfillment in your career. I share 10 years of experience changing roles, buying businesses, starting companies and a proven path to take you to greater clarity and fulfillment. This course sets the stage for a new era of happy and empowered high achievers. Request a free Career Clarity Call to see if you are fit to work with us.
  2. Conversations & Connections for HBS Alumni: an invitation-only, 60 minute virtual gathering twice a month, to connect with and engage in a meaningful conversation with your fellow alumni. No slides. No recording. No teaching. True connection. Bring your most pressing life/career question.
  3. Monthly Masterclass - From Working Hell to Living Well: in this free 60 minutes workshop, learn 3 tools to eliminate burnout, increase fulfillment and find more satisfaction in your current job TODAY.
  4. Book me to Speak: keynotes and workshops from an ex-Bridgewater Associates alum and serial entrepreneur that inspire and motivate your audience to greater engagement, creativity and resilience in their work.

Unsubscribe | Preferences | 3707 N St Marys St, Suite 200, San Antonio, TX 78212

The H3 Connection

A weekly newsletter for ambitious achievers on how to align your Head, Heart and Hands to find more fulfillment in your career and life.

Read more from The H3 Connection

Hey Reader, You’ve probably told yourself one or more times that you just need to find balance. Balance between being a CEO, business partner, parent, and best friend. Balance between building the company, staying fit, reading books, launching a product, scaling a business, being active in a mastermind, and still doing self-care. And somehow doing it all without dropping the ball. Most people struggle with inconsistency because they’re trying to live ten lives at the same time. In today’s...

Hey Reader, There’s something about being good at a lot of things. You can handle more, so you keep taking on more. And before you know it, your attention is everywhere. Most people fail to reach their goals because their attention is heavily diluted by the small, quick, minor things. In today’s issue, we’ll explore the idea of being a minimalist to be a maximalist as you pursue excellence. 🗯️ The Avoid-At-All-Costs list On December 8, 2025, OpenAI did something that triggered a loud...

Hey Reader, There’s a kind of confidence that comes from being calm in the face of uncertainty. Anyone can feel calm when life behaves. But not everyone has mastered the art of staying calm when things get very uncomfortable. In today’s issue, we’ll uncover practices to find peace in the face of curveballs. 💭 “The ocean doesn’t calm down. The captain does.” In August 2010, a gold and copper mine collapsed in northern Chile. Thirty-three miners were trapped nearly 700 meters underground. No...