Obstacles to Success – Part 1

Everyone has an ideal vision of how they would like their life to be, and typically obstacles always appear which make it more difficult to make those visions a reality. The easy part is expecting obstacles to get in the way of what we truly desire. The real challenge is to investigate the reason behind the obstacle and find ways to overcome it.

Obstacles cause us to lose momentum as we are trying to achieve our visions and goals. They often make us feel stuck. Sadly, the longer we feel stuck, the more likely we are to give up on whatever it is we were striving towards.

The best thing we can do when facing an obstacle is to consider the obstacle a wonderful opportunity to learn something new about ourselves. Yes, you read that correctly - obstacles are a WONDERFUL way to help us improve our personal development skills. I can attest to that personally.

There have been times in my life that I set out to achieve or obtain something that was very important to me. Inevitably, along the way, I encountered obstacles both big and small. Sometimes the process of overcoming those obstacles helped me improve personality traits that needed to be adjusted, and other times the process uncovered new abilities I didn't even know existed. For me, it's always a neat experience to look back and see how I've changed for the better during a challenging time. My attitude about obstacles is my biggest asset: I don't usually like them, but I always respect their ability to make me a better person over time.

One of the reasons the coaching industry has been so successful over the last decade is because people are genuinely tired of being stuck in whatever circumstance they are in. When that "stuck" feeling gets too overwhelming to ignore, people often invest in a coaching program to help them move forward. I always tell my clients before they start their coaching program that the change process will often be difficult. Below is a section of my contract that I ask my clients to read and sign, just to make sure they are aware of what it will take to successfully achieve the life they want. Note the bold area in the second paragraph which specifically addresses the obstacles they will encounter:

"Coaching is a process full of thought provoking questions, leading to deeper insight and direction, and ending with strategic plans to achieve your dreams and goals. This process will be successful if you commit to doing the assigned homework, utilizing the tools and resources provided, and most importantly, working on the action plans established.

You are investing in this coaching program because you desire changes in your personal or professional life. It is important to remember the change process may bring periods of intense joy or intense discomfort. As you are experiencing the forward movement of change, celebrate whichever period you are in - because it means you are getting much closer to where you desire to be in your personal or professional life.

Finally, as your coach I will ensure your success by committing to providing a safe environment in which you can be yourself, and experiment, fantasize, and strategize about your life and choices without limitation. I will challenge you to step outside your comfort zones to tap into your potential. I will speak the truth as I see it, even if you may not like what you hear (because my job is to ensure that you stay on track with the vision for your life). I will also keep our conversations confidential so that you are free to express yourself however you are feeling in the moment."

The bigger your dreams, the more obstacles you will inevitably face. How you handle them is the often the key factor towards your road to success. So the next time you are facing an obstacle, take a deep breath and focus on what you can learn instead of the "pain" you are currently feeling.

In Part 2 of this series (titled “Obstacles to Success – Part 2”), we will discuss the two kinds of obstacles people often face: internal and external.

Identifying & Tackling Obstacles Exercise

Think about a current obstacle you are facing: a circumstance you are tolerating, a difficult conflict you are struggling with, or a change you don’t want to make, but know you need to.
• What is stopping you?
• What makes this hard to get done?
• What one resource or tool would make all the difference if you had it?
• What’s the worse-case scenario if you did decide to tackle this issue once and for all?

Spend time thinking about the answers to those questions, and let me know if I can help you in any way.

Have a wonderful day, and remember to keep your eyes open for all the exciting possibilities within and around you!