Do you find yourself constantly being knocked back when you strive to achieve your goals? Do you get frustrated when you come up against “unforeseen circumstances” that threaten to derail your plans? The key to overcoming obstacles is to identify them before you come up against them.
Prepare for challenges
If you want to achieve anything of significance in life, you need to start with a challenging but realistic goal, and then put smart strategies in place that will help you get there.
But it’s also vital that you recognise any potential obstacles in your way so that you know how to get over them if and when they appear. If you don’t do this from the outset, and you get ambushed by a setback you didn’t see coming, it’s easy to get disillusioned and scrap your plans altogether.
This is called throwing the baby out with the bathwater. On the other hand, if you prepare for potential setbacks beforehand, you won’t be caught by surprise, and you’ll have strategies in place to deal with them as they occur.
Have contingencies in place
Have a look at your goal, and write down any potential obstacles you can think of that may impede your progress. Most obstacles tend to fall into these four categories:
- Logistical
- Financial
- Mental
- Health
As an example, let’s take a look at this goal: “To complete my business management diploma by December 2026”. Now let’s look at one potential obstacle and some possible strategies to overcome it, for each category:
Logistical
Potential obstacle: I may not have enough time to study because I’m also working and have a family.
Possible strategies: Use a diary to schedule specific times for study. Get my spouse and kids to take over some household chores for a while, and get up earlier on the weekends.
Financial
Potential obstacle: I can’t afford the course fees.
Possible strategies: Talk to my employer about sponsoring me, and look at cutting down on some expenses. Get a loan from my bank.
Mental
Potential obstacle: I tend to lose motivation easily.
Possible strategies: Make studying a daily habit so that it becomes just something that I do, like having a shower or going to work. Make a personalised visualisation board of my goal, and put it in a place where I can see it every day. Get a “study buddy” to work with me.
Health
Potential obstacle: I’m afraid I’ll burn out and get some stress-related illness.
Possible solution: Schedule regular breaks and holidays, and consciously practise mindfulness.
Expect the unexpected
No worthwhile achievement is ever reached without overcoming obstacles, and the road to success is littered with potholes and hurdles. Being aware of these obstacles, and being able to effectively deal with them along the way is key to your ultimate triumph.
Life coaching can help you to identify and overcome any obstacles to getting what you want in life.
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below.
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