Anatomy of a Breakthrough

If you feel stuck, you’re not alone. Everyone gets stuck at some point.

Everyone will probably get stuck sooner or later, in one way or another – in a job, hobby or relationship, creatively or personally. Even people, including athletes and actors, who seem to embody success have often suffered long periods of being stuck. Oscar winner Brie Larson endured 20 years of struggle and thousands of failed auditions before she became an A-list star.

Airbnb Founders Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia and Nathan Blecharczyk struggled for years to obtain funding for their company, and even Amazon founder Jeff Bezos endured seven years of disappointment before the company hit its stride. And Game of Thrones fans have been waiting since 2011 for George R.R. Martin – the author of the wildly popular book series behind the TV show – to publish a promised new entry in the series.

People who get stuck often feel isolated and might believe they’re victims of terrible luck, not realizing how universal the experience really is. Psychological phenomena underpin this skewed perception. People naturally tend to pay more attention to their own...