Progress toward goal achievement can sometimes be blocked by challenges and obstacles. Handling challenges can take courage, creativity, grit, and resilience. Some of the biggest obstacles are the ones that we create ourselves. Here are some ways to flip obstacles that might be encountered:

• Fear – limit fear to the back seat: author Elizabeth Gilbert wrote a Letter to Fear.
• Laziness – focus on the satisfaction that comes from hard work for a meaningful goal.
• Indecision – find options for solutions and decide.
• Perfectionism – seek progress rather than perfection and begin to get important stuff done.
• Confusion – if the path is unclear: gain clarity, make a plan, and be aware.
• Limiting beliefs – learned helplessness can prevent action. Re-frame thinking to become resilient.
• Attitude – change from a negative attitude to an action oriented, can do attitude.
• Motivation – if you feel unmotivated, the benefits of the results may not be enough to overcome inertia. Can you tip the scales? Motivation comes from action, not the other way around.
• Procrastination – if you are avoiding a task, learn about procrastination triggers and how to overcome them.

Don’t let your own limiting beliefs, the comfort zone, distractions, or fears prevent you from doing what you want to accomplish, or from connecting with others. Examine your mental beliefs and RECLAIM agency to overcome obstacles.

• Remember realistic optimism
• Expand the comfort zone
• Cultivate courage and creativity
• Look at limiting beliefs
• Always be aware of distractions
• Include small steps
• Master a growth mindset
• Empowering self-talk
• Decide to develop determination

Of course, there can be external obstacles, and unknown obstacles that are not possible to plan for. Don’t let uncertainty, failures, or setbacks stop you. Gather all your resources, know how to solve problems, develop strengths, deal with time wasters, and keep trying.

The Victor poem by C.W. Longenecker

If you think you are beaten, you are.
If you think you dare not, you don’t.
If you like to win but think you can’t,
It’s almost a cinch you won’t.
For out in the world we find
Success begins with a fellow’s [person’s] will.
It’s all in the state of mind.
If you think you are outclassed, you are.
You’ve got to think high to rise.
You’ve got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win the prize.
Life’s battles don’t always go
To the stronger or faster man [person who ran].
But sooner or later, the man [person] who wins
Is the man [person] who thinks he [they] can.

If you want to get ahead, use the one you’ve got!

Learn more about How to Set Goals, use time well, and develop Self-Esteem.

When setting goals, consider the benefits of achievement and the resources required. The Economy of Goals means that benefits must exceed the cost in order for us to invest the needed resources. Goals are challenging, by definition. We can expect to encounter risk, uncertainty, perhaps failure, and quite likely fear along the way. The resources we need to accomplish goals can also reveal the strengths we need to persevere. Resources that are often needed to accomplish goals include:

• Time
• Energy
• Abilities
• Mind (and Money)

To set and reach for goals means embracing effort, expecting challenges, and expanding to the edge of the comfort zone. Facing challenges takes courage, because it means there can be setbacks. Amy Shoenthal delves into this topic in her TED talk How to turn setbacks into success, and her book The Setback Cycle (Amazon affiliate link to the book provides a small commission that helps to support the Daily PlanIt). There are things we can do if we experience failure or make mistakes. We can confront fear and change our mindset. Before we get to resources, the cycle she describes includes:

• Establish: Recognize and acknowledge that you are in a setback.
• Embrace: Get uncomfortable to analyze what went wrong, taking responsibility for your part while understanding external factors.
• Explore: Experiment with new ideas, merge passion with strengths, and lean on your community to find clarity on what’s next.
• Emerge: Take action, even if it’s scary, to move forward with the new clarity gained, understanding that this process builds resilience and creativity.

My extended thoughts about how skills can help us prepare for setbacks:

• Expect: Cultivate courage with small steps.
• Engage: Reveal resources and identify strengths.
• Enlarge: Get a bigger perspective with creativity.
• Expand: Grow to the edge of your comfort zone.

Here is how resources can reveal strengths.

• Time. When do you lose all track of time and feel flow? When did you solve a problem? How can you start to manage time?
• Energy. What tasks excite you and consistently energize you? What is a project you are proud of? How can you manage energy effectively?
• Abilities. What are you good at? What is easy for you to do or learn about? (see Discover U) How can you develop skills and be your best?
• Mind. What do you love to learn about? When are you most creative? How can you increase awareness, tend to focus, direct self-talk, cultivate creativity?

Supportive community is another resource that can help us reach goals.

• Gain input from others
• Learn in public
• Outline thoughts
• Work collaboratively
• Spark creativity with social connections

Learn more at Discover U, and find more TED talks by speakers who are also authors at TED Talk Book Discussion.