Overcoming Obstacles - How to Overcome Them

Overcoming obstacles is part of success. There is no way to overcome every obstacle. But if you can overcome one, like achieving your dream, you have achieved success. You may be asking, how do you know if you are up to the challenge? You might be thinking, "There's got to be something I can do!" Here are some clues that will help you recognize if you're ready to tackle that next obstacle and stop thinking about it.


First, look for the obstacle in your journey towards your goal. Some people view obstacles in terms of a puzzle to crack. Some view obstacles in terms of an opportunity to develop. Others view obstacles in terms of a potential threat to their current success. Still, others view obstacles in terms of meaning they can't succeed without.

Once you have identified the obstacles in your journey, you can use them to your advantage to figure out a plan of action. Do you want to overcome obstacles by finding a way to get around them? Are you motivated by the fear of failure? Do you use your emotions to distract you from the hard work required to reach your goal? Identify your emotions and use them appropriately when overcoming obstacles in your journey to reach your goal.

Once you understand what motivates you and what your emotional triggers are, you can take those factors into account when overcoming obstacles in your goals. For example, if you know that avoiding social situations that make you uncomfortable is an easy way to avoid getting started on your goals, you can take that into consideration when planning your strategy. If you know that talking to strangers about your goals is putting you in the spotlight and giving you an opportunity for personal growth, you can bring that into play when planning your approach. Your personal strengths will give you an advantage over other people who lack those strengths.

You can also overcome obstacles by taking small steps. In the above example, you might notice that avoiding social situations might mean that you won't be spending time in a coffee shop with a bunch of friends. By taking a single step, such as choosing to order in a restaurant where you don't feel like going, you have reduced the likelihood of making that embarrassing situation happen. Overcoming obstacles becomes easier as you move forward.

It can be difficult to eliminate external obstacles, but once you eliminate them, overcoming obstacles becomes easier. This is because all of your prior decisions about whether or not you should do something applied at the right time, which gave rise to that particular decision in the first place. So, as you think about how you're going to proceed when faced with an obstacle, stop and ask yourself, "Am I prepared?" If you find that you are, then you can turn your attention to the internal obstacle instead of trying to run away from it.

You also need to remember to set clear goals when you begin this process. It's very easy to get off track and lose sight of the big picture. Once you've written down your short-term and long-term goals, make sure you have enough time to achieve each of them. This way, if you do run out of time, you still have a clear path to success.


A clear goal makes overcoming obstacles more likely. Once you know what your goals are, you'll be in a better position to look at potential distractions and plan your strategy to work around them. Once you have clear goals in mind, write down those goals whenever you come across an obstacle that would prevent you from reaching your main goal. You don't have to take on the task of finding ways to get around these obstacles immediately. Take your time. You'll be surprised how often obstacles actually lie in the path ahead of you!