Everyone runs into obstacles that block them from moving forward. What do you do if you’re on the path towards your goals, and something stops you? Thus, destroying your chance to succeed.
Do you give up and go home? Or do you find a way to get past it?
If you want a better life, then you can’t let anything slam the brakes on your progress. You’ve got to blast through any blockade till you reach your goal.
The following are 8 common obstacles people face on their journey to change their lives:
1. Not having a plan
“The sooner you start planning your life, the sooner you will live the life you dream of.”
—Hans Glint
Using your time efficiently is the only way you’ll reach your goal. Therefore, you’ve got to plan how to get there.
Ask yourself these questions to avoid any obstacle while making your plan:
- What are my top priorities?
- When will I do them?
- How long will they take, and what are their deadlines?
- Are there any wastes of time I should avoid?
Write out what you need to do and when to reach your goal. With this piece of paper, you’ll be 42% more likely to achieve your goal. Trust me, it works! Everything I’ve ever achieved, I wrote it down first.
Here are some free planners to get you started. Chop your goal into chunks, then break those into small steps. Finally, plan when to do them. It’ll be hard to follow your schedule at first, but if you make progress—even a tiny bit—every day, you’ll change your world.
2. The obstacle of not having self-discipline
“Without self-discipline, success is impossible, period.”
—Lou Holtz
You can create an elaborate plan, but if you never follow it then, it’s worthless. If you’ve slacked off your whole life, it’ll be a challenge to start using self-discipline. At times, you may need to force yourself to do what you need to do. Especially at first, when it’s the most difficult.
The road to greatness is rocky, scary, and challenging. You’ve got to push yourself more than ever. So, working on your goal whenever you feel like it, won’t cut it.
It doesn’t matter if you were born with money or you’ve got a high IQ—everyone must pay the price for excellence. But when you strengthen your self-discipline, nothing can hold you back from achieving what you want.
3. The infamous procrastination obstacle
“The only difference between success and failure is the ability to take action.”
– Alexander Graham Bell
Procrastinating can be a massive obstacle. It will stop you from ever finishing (or starting) your goals. It’s a stealthy form of self-sabotage. Putting your ambitions off till “later” really means it’ll never happen. Since “later” isn’t a set time, it doesn’t exist.
That’s why you’ve got to develop a strategy and a timeline to do anything worthwhile.
Furthermore, don’t wait till you feel “ready” just start before you talk yourself out of it. Besides, you’ll gain inspiration and skills after you start moving forward.
4. The deceptive “comfort” zone
“Your life does not get better by chance. It gets better by change.”
—Jim Rohn
You must venture out of your comfort zone if you want to achieve anything incredible. Although your daily routine feels nice and safe, that doesn’t mean it’s helpful. In fact, the safer you feel, the less likely you’ll do anything to make progress.
So, push yourself to do what scares you. What’s the one intimidating thing you could do to turn your life around for the better? Now, what “baby steps” could you take to prepare for it?
Every time you do new things, the braver you become, and the more opportunities open up for you. Afterward, congratulate yourself for being so courageous! Celebrate when you take some risks to improve your life.
5. Making Excuses
“He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.”
—Benjamin Franklin
Be aware that your thoughts can be an obstacle. Your subconscious can keep you from moving forward for a lifetime. It doesn’t want you to switch things up; it’d rather keep you stuck in your comfort zone for eternity. Furthermore, it can be quite persuasive, so be on your guard!
It’s the subconscious that creates your excuses. It’ll tell you that you’re too tired, or not good enough to attempt a goal. Don’t listen to these excuses and do what you need to do.
6. Fear of failure
“I fear failure, but I won’t let it stop me. Sometimes you just got to do it, or else it just doesn’t happen.”— Mark Cuban
Being afraid to fail is an enormous obstacle to climb. As a result, multitudes of talented people never attempt their dreams. Thus, depriving the world of their one-of-a-kind creations.
But who could blame them? We’re all programmed from childhood to think that “failing” is one of the worst things you can do in life. We start believing that only losers fail. But that’s not true.
Google the biography of any successful self-made person. I guarantee they’ve “failed” many times. Most successful people fail their way to the top. So, it’s best to stop avoiding it and start accepting that we all stumble when we’re learning. It builds your resilience and knowledge.
So, failing isn’t bad; it’s proof that you’re on the same road successful people have traveled to reach their dreams. Each time you learn from failure, you get closer to your target.
7. Low self-confidence
“When you have a lot of confidence, and you feel like nobody can beat you, it’s game over for everyone else.”
—Jason Day
Confidence is believing in yourself and your ability to succeed. Thus, it’s one of the most important traits you can gain! Believing in yourself gives you the courage to strive for what you want. Plus, when you’re confident, you’ll have more enthusiasm, success, and happiness.
On the other hand, the obstacle of low self-esteem can destroy all your plans for the future.
“You probably wouldn’t worry about what people think of you if you could know how seldom they do.”
― Olin Miller
So, make building your confidence a priority. Use positive self-talk, have self-compassion, dress nice, and smile. Also, sit and stand with your back straight.
Be proud to be yourself and don’t worry about what anyone thinks of you. Then you’ll overcome obstacles like low self-esteem.
8. The huge obstacle of a fixed mindset
“We are products of our past, but we don’t have to be prisoners of it.”
—Rick Warren
If you have a history of making bad choices, this doesn’t mean you’ll always be this way. You can change what prevents you from moving forward in life.
People say, “a leopard doesn’t change its spots,” meaning that no one can change who they are. That’s not true, and believing that will reinforce a fixed mindset and make progress impossible. As a result, you end up floating through life, thinking that there’s nothing you can do to improve yourself.
Learn what you need to from the past, then move past it. Otherwise, those thoughts and memories will obstruct your path.
In short, don’t let an obstacle hold you back any longer. Now you know what to do to overpower them, and you can evolve into the person you need to be to reach your goal.
Also, don’t forget to sign up for the Motivated Progress newsletter below!
If you’re facing a difficult obstacle, let me know in the comments.
Sheryl,
Your words truly inspire me to reach for greatness. To push away fear. To change the world.
Thank You.
All the Best,
Trent
Thanks, Trent! That’s awesome 🙂