Opening Up to Move Forward: Diane Martinez on Vulnerability, Small Steps, and Getting Unstuck

In Open Up and Get Unstuck, coach and author Diane Martinez distills more than a decade of conversations with people who felt called toward “more” but didn’t know how to reach it. Rooted in a holistic blend of body, mind, and spirit, her work challenges the myth of overnight transformation and instead invites readers into vulnerability, self-compassion, and steady motion—showing how small, intentional actions can quietly unlock confidence, clarity, and lasting change.

Hi Diane, thank you so much for taking the time to share your story and insights with our readers. Your book, Open Up and Get Unstuck, was inspired by more than a decade of working closely with clients who felt stuck in different areas of their lives. Looking back, what patterns did you notice in those conversations that ultimately motivated you to write this book?
The impetus to write Open Up and Get Unstuck came from observing just how universal this sentiment is across people of all ages. While the specific circumstances vary from person to person, the theme is that life is calling them toward more than they currently are living, and that is often experienced as feeling stuck.

One of the core messages of your work is the importance of vulnerability as a gateway to growth and connection. Why do you think vulnerability is so often resisted, and how can people begin practicing it in a way that feels safe and empowering?
We humans naturally gravitate toward familiarity and safety. Stepping out of old ways of thinking and living can feel scary, and that fear can bring on feelings of vulnerability. But as I referenced in the book, there is no safety in playing small. Bad things can happen right where you are. It’s helpful to realize that right on the other side of vulnerability are feelings of discovery, excitement, fulfillment, and more.

As with anything new, it’s best to begin with small steps. There is no need to make dramatic or sweeping changes to your life or lifestyle. Some simple steps might include joining a new social group, signing up for a new class, reaching out to old friends or colleagues who are inspiring to you and enjoying a coffee together can start the wheels of change moving. 

 As you take those first tentative steps to explore other possibilities, that feeling of vulnerability gives way to a growing sense of confidence and possibility. 

Your book blends body, mind, and spirit practices, with actionable exercises at the end of each chapter. How did you decide on this holistic structure, and what role do these small, practical steps play in helping readers move forward?
The basis of holistic coaching is the understanding that we are each body, mind, and spirit. Overemphasis is put on our mind, but the truth is body and spirit are integral and necessary for healthy, lasting changes to be made. The practices at the end of each chapter offer various ways of sidling up to nurturing and developing those often overlooked parts of our being.

The promise of dramatic and sudden change might sell products, but that is not the most effective way to approach personal growth. It’s making the conscious choice to take baby steps and trust that you are not the only one working on your journey. There is magic in motion, and when you take action toward growth, creativity, and the things your heart is calling you toward, forces unseen by your human eyes are assisting and directing you. 

You can think of it like programming a destination into your phone. The directions are not given until you are in motion. If you’re sitting in your garage, no direction is given, but when you put your car in gear and begin moving, the next step is given. Life works much like that. When you are sitting on the sofa waiting for something miraculous to happen, nothing does. But when you get up and reach out, research, ask, call, or in some way participate, things begin to unfold for you in ways that will amaze and delight you. 

You emphasize that personal growth doesn’t require drastic change, but rather consistent, intentional action paired with self-compassion. How does this perspective challenge the “overnight transformation” mindset that’s so common in self-help culture?
It’s true, our culture wants it all right away: Instant fixes and overnight transformations. The approach I’m suggesting instead is to fall in love with the journey itself, not the destination. On any map the destination is depicted as a dot. One tiny spot on a vast plane. Why stake all your hopes and dreams on a pinpoint? To do so is to deny yourself the richness of the journey. 

If you doubt me, try this. Reflect on the last several vacations you’ve taken. What are the stand out moments? Were they when everything went just right according to plan? Or were they when there was a miscue of some sort, a wrong exit taken, or some ‘mistake’ that created memories and laughs that you love telling and retelling? 

The journey is the blessing. As you begin to loosen your grip on strict timelines and outcomes and fully engage with the life you have, moment to moment, that’s when life feels like the blessing it is, and joy and fulfillment are not reserved only for the pinpoint of the destination. 

After the book’s release and seeing how readers have engaged with it, what feedback or moments have been most meaningful to you as a coach and author?
The most meaningful feedback has been when readers remark on how easy it is to apply the steps; how you can begin ‘opening up’ the day you receive the book! It is gratifying, and has been my intention all along, to empower people to create lives they desire and enjoy, and opening up is a beautiful first step.

For someone who feels deeply stuck right now and unsure where to begin, what is one simple shift or practice you’d encourage them to try first to start opening up and moving forward?
Get clear on what’s important to you. My favorite way to do this is to get a sketchpad and begin doodling, drawing, or making a bullet list. What do you most value? What makes your heart smile? What energizes your mind and soul to where you totally lose track of time? You can think and think and think, but not come to any deep understandings, but when you begin to draw and write, or express yourself however you want to on paper, you’re taking your imagination out for a little spin, you will receive clarity on what your heart is calling you toward, and perhaps even your best next step to get you there.