“One who gains strength by overcoming obstacles possesses the only strength which can overcome adversity.”
Albert Schweitzer
Between setting goals and accomplishing them, there are often landmines placed in your path. These are obstacles, and everyone encounters them on their way to success. It is how you see, and tackle, these obstacle that determines whether you will pass over them or not. If you see your obstacles as stumbling blocks, you will be on your way to failure, but if you see them as stepping stones on the way to success, and learn to mange them, you will be unstoppable.
As you begin your journey to success by overcoming obstacles, you will notice they are of three main types:
1. Personal obstacles:
These are the internal things that hold you back and are related to your mindset, actions, and beliefs. They can include beliefs of self that cause low esteem, crippling emotions, destructive habits, and fears.
2. Environmental obstacles:
These obstacles are conditions and circumstances that crop up in your life that you have little or no control over. Example could be a snow storm that keeps you from traveling, or an accident on the highway that stops traffic.
3. Social obstacles:
These obstacles are placed in your path by others. They could be intended or unintended sabotage, or a family member who refuses to cooperate with you, or staff who are simply not competent, and are not able to carry out the tasks assigned.
However, no matter the obstacles you face in your business, there are always ways of overcoming them. Below are some things you can do when life throws challenges and obstacles into your path.
1. Remove emotion from the equation
When obstacles suddenly arise, our first reaction might be an emotional one. However, emotional reactions are often not productive, and could actually make a situation worse. Instead, feel the emotion but don’t react. Then try to step back from the emotion and see the situation from an external perspective, using reason and logic. Remember that this ‘thing’ isn’t happening “to you”. It is simply happening. It has no personal significance except what you give it.
2. Breathe, take control, and take action
When obstacles suddenly present themselves, it is easy to simply feel overwhelmed and not act at all. This paralysis may seem unhelpful at first, however, it gives us the time to ponder and think strategically about the circumstances we find ourselves in. This is the time you have to take a deep breath and ask yourself important questions that will help bounce you back on your feet.
3. Assess your obstacles
Take time to evaluate how this obstacle came about. You know you will be overcoming obstacles again, so make sure it isn’t the same kind over and over again. Learn from each event and do your best, where you can, to prevent it from becoming an issue again.
4. Take positive steps towards resolution
Make sure that once you assess the event, you take action to rectify the situation, and then put a policy in place for avoiding the situation again, or handling it quickly should it arise.
5. Learn from your mistakes
Progress is built upon a series of mistakes that we make on a daily basis. Some are small, while others are big, but the significant thing is that they all help us to learn the important lessons we need to learn to attain our goals and objectives. Take a moment to learn from every mistake and failed attempt you make.
6. Don’t quit
On a final note, do not quit, no matter what. Perseverance, persistence and a commitment to consistency and massive action are what you need to help you in overcoming obstacles in your way.
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