Life is full of obstacles. Some are large and
obstructive while others may seem like raindrops on a Window or the leaves in the autumn breeze that twist your heart into an impossible knot before they fall asleep at night; each one has their own way to show up unannounced during our most vulnerable moments – but don’t worry! There’s always a solution if you know what it takes for yourself…
Let’s get started.
1) Correct Your Mindset
The only way that you can overcome an obstacle is to
correct your mindset.
When most people think of obstacles,
they immediately think of something that is challenging,
tough, and stacked against them.
Even though obstacles are tough, you shouldn’t
have an entirely negative view of them.
That’s because obstacles are not all bad.
In fact, obstacles are overwhelmingly positive,
even on the worst days.
Obstacles help you grow as a person and learn about yourself.
Without them, you could never become the person
you are meant to be.
With this in mind, it is important to view obstacles
realistically.
Many people have what is called a fixed mindset.
A fixed mindset gives up and gets overwhelmed
whenever something is difficult.
Instead of having a fixed mindset, correct it to a growth
mindset.
A growth mindset looks at challenges and failure
as an opportunity to grow and improve.
To change from a fixed to a growth mindset, you’ll have to
put in a lot of hard work and intentionality.
Reflect on your own thinking and challenge it for the better.
During the process, you will likely find yourself with
a mixed mindset before landing on a growth one.
A mixed mindset is simply whenever you are caught
thinking in fixed terms at one
a moment in growth terms in another.
It shows progress.
All around, you need to correct any mindsets that are
hindering you from growing or tackling the obstacle.
Two of the most common unhelpful mindsets
include viewing obstacles as all bad and
a fixed mindset.
Correct your mindset so that you see both
the positives and the negatives in obstacles,
as well as practice a growth mindset.
2) Stay Optimistic
Obstacles can be a lot of hard work, sometimes feeling like
a force for the worst.
Despite this fact, you need to stay positive
whenever you face an obstacle.
Positivity and optimism help you stay motivated
and clear-minded throughout the process.
If you feel that you are getting upset or overwhelmed by the
obstacle, take a break for a second.
No matter what obstacle you face,
you will be able to take a break from it at
some point.
Focus on something that you enjoy, such as a
hobby, a friend, or a family member instead.
Consider talking to a therapist too.
A therapist will help you see the positives in any situation.
They will also help you come up with effective
and rational action steps to take whenever you feel
overwhelmed or taken away by the
situation.
If you find that you are constantly feeling negative and
pessimistic, you may need to go back to our first piece of
advice, which is to correct your mindset.
Even on the worst days, try to stay optimistic.
3) Don’t Compare Yourself to Others
In a world of social media, we are often forced to compare
ourselves to others.
This leads to unnecessary negativity,
harmful mindsets, and a number of other side effects that
are damaging to our health and well-being.
Comparing yourself to others also hinders your ability to
overcome obstacles.
Most people don’t think of this side
effect, but it is true. Whenever you compare yourself to
others, you are living by their standards, not your own.
When this happens, you often create more obstacles than
you solve.
Instead of comparing yourself to others, it is more helpful to
compare your current self to your past self.
4) Look at the Facts
Looking at the facts of your obstacle is crucial for
overcoming it. Many people see an obstacle, but they refuse
to look at its realities or facts. Instead, they only listen to
their emotions. Although emotions are important, as we will
talk about later, you need to look at the facts first.
To learn about the facts of the obstacle, look at it from an
objective point of view. Reflect on why you must face the
obstacle, what it means to you, what it requires of you, and
if it involves another person. If the obstacle involves
someone else, talk to that person and get their perspective
on the matter as well.
After looking at the facts, then you can move on to setting
goals and overcoming obstacles. Until you do this step,
though, it is impossible to know what is required of you to
overcome the obstacle.
5) Set Goals
We can’t talk about overcoming obstacles without talking
about setting goals. Goals help you create and follow
through with action steps that take you from point A to point
B. In other words, goals help you overcome your obstacles
by breaking them down into tiny chunks.
The best way to set goals is to use the SMART method.
SMART stands for specific, measurable, attainable,
relevant, and time-bound.
● Specific: A specific goal is one that has a single
intention or purpose. You can easily describe what you
need to do without getting confused or muddled along
the way. “Lose 10 pounds” is a specific goal, while “lose
weight” is not.
● Measurable: A measurable goal is a little bit more self-explanatory. It is one that can be measured as to
whether or not you accomplished it. Once again, “lose
10 pounds” is measurable but “lose weight” is not.
● Attainable: An attainable goal is simply one that you
can actually accomplish. It is one that is not too lofty or
outside of the realm of possibility. “Lose 10 pounds” is
easily attainable, but “lose 100 pounds” may not be.
● Relevant: The goal must be relevant to what you want
out of life or to overcome the obstacle. Many people set
goals that they think are relevant but are actually not. If
the obstacle is losing weight, “lose 10 pounds” is
relevant, but “buy new workout gear” is not.
● Time-Bound: Binding your goal to a specific time
keeps you motivated. It prevents you from slacking.
“Lose 10 pounds” is not time-bound, but “lose 10
pounds in three months” is.
6) Don’t Forget About Your Emotions
As we already mentioned, emotions are very important to
overcoming obstacles. While most people struggle with
getting swept away with their emotions, others have the
opposite issue. They only think in terms of rationality and
facts, which neglects an important aspect of their self and
well-being.
When first faced with an obstacle, you need to determine if it
is worth your time or has any meaning in your life. If you
don’t think about your emotions, you won’t truly know how
you feel about the obstacle, and you might take on an
obstacle that you don’t really care about. This puts
unnecessary strain and stress in your life.
As you are overcoming obstacles, remember to stay in
touch with your emotions throughout the entire process.
Though you shouldn’t get swept away by them, you
shouldn’t ignore them either. It is just as dangerous.
7) Reflect
One of the best ways for overcoming obstacles is to learn
from your past obstacles. Your past obstacles give you tips
and ideas for how to use your strengths to overcome any
challenge you face. In order to learn from an obstacle, you
must reflect on it first.
Throughout the entire process, reflect on yourself, your
weaknesses, your strengths, and your abilities. This teaches
you more about yourself than you will ever know. Knowing
yourself is what boosts your self-esteem and ability to
overcome obstacles.
Conclusion
Obstacles are very challenging and require a lot of work.
Luckily, there are some foolproof methods you can try out to
overcome any obstacle you may face. Correcting your
mindset, staying optimistic, and focusing on yourself are all
imperative steps for overcoming an obstacle.
Likewise, looking at the facts, setting goals, and considering
your emotions will help you overcome the obstacle in a way
that is efficient and helpful to your well-being. During and
after the entire process, reflect on it so you can pull out the
information at a later point.
Incorporate one or many of these tips into your routine when
overcoming obstacles so that you can overcome them
efficiently, quickly, and productively.