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There’s no way you could fail now, right? Well, unless you encounter some obstacles.
Obstacles have the power to derail your plans faster than you would believe! What is an obstacle? Basically it means a challenge or unexpected event that prevents you from moving forward on your goal.
How have you dealt with obstacles in the past? Did you lose your determination and give up? Or did you find a way around the obstacle and achieve your goal in the end? No matter what happened in the past, know that you can arm yourself with effective strategies for dealing with any obstacles that may arise in the future.
Below are 2 types of obstacles you need to be aware of, along with suggested coping strategies:
• External obstacles. These are obstacles that are caused by outside influences, other people, events, or situations. Usually these types of obstacles are out of your control.
However, remember that even if the obstacle itself is out of your control, your REACTION to it is not. When you come up against an obstacle like this, you have a choice: you can give up or you can use your creative thinking ability to find a way around it.
Coping Strategy:
The most important thing you can do to cope with obstacles is NOT TAKE THEM PERSONALLY. Many of us feel like the universe is picking on us when we come up against obstacles. Understand that obstacles are not personal. Everyone faces them. Keep this in mind and make a solemn vow to work through them whenever they come up.
• Inner obstacles. In addition to obstacles in your environment, you may also bump up against plenty of inner obstacles, such as negative thinking, procrastination, self-doubt, and self-sabotage. You’ll know when you encounter these types of obstacles because you’ll notice yourself doing things that are completely in opposition to the goal(s) you have set for yourself.
For example, you’ll find yourself avoiding working on your goals, even though you really want to achieve them, or thinking and speaking pessimistically about your goals, or allowing other people’s negative comments to erode your self-confidence.
Coping Strategy:
In order to work through obstacles like these, you really need to have a solid level of self-awareness. Almost ALL of the time, these behaviors are due to limiting beliefs. We’ll explore those in more detail tomorrow.
For now, take a few minutes to jot down possible obstacles you might face while pursuing your current goal. Then, jot down some alternative steps you could take to work through them. Remember; if you simply refuse to allow obstacles to stop your progress, you will breeze through them with barely a hitch in your step.
