Obstacles to Success – Part 2

As mentioned in my last article, “obstacles cause us to lose momentum as we are trying to achieve our visions and goals. They often make us feel stuck. And sadly, the longer we feel stuck, the more likely we are to give up on whatever it is we were striving towards.”

There are two kinds of obstacles: external and internal. The best way to explain the difference is by over-simplifying. External obstacles are things which are out of your control that get in your way. Internal obstacles are things which you can control that get in your way. Here are a few examples of each:

Types of External Obstacles (things you can’t control):
~A meeting you were not in charge of runs late, causing you to have to reschedule something that was important to you.
~You have been seeking a specific career move, but do not know the right people to open doors for you.
~Your car unexpectedly needs to get fixed, forcing you to dip into the money you were holding for something else.
~You had full intention to finish a project over the weekend, but a friend called urgently needing your help with a personal situation.

Types of Internal Obstacles (things you can control):
~You desire to deepen a friendship with someone you know casually, but are unsure if that person will like you for who you really are.
~You have always wanted to learn more about “X,” but can’t figure out how to carve out time in your schedule to begin taking classes.
~You want to accomplish “X,” but your fears keep getting in the way.
~Negative self-talk prevents you from moving forward towards your dreams and goals.

When you suddenly find an obstacle in your way, take a moment to figure out if that obstacle is internal or external. If it is external, create a Plan A and a Plan B so that you have an alternative ready for any unexpected situations that might arise. If the obstacle is internal, commit to investing in any resources you need to overcome it.

Ask yourself:
1. What external factors will your plan have to account for if it is going to work?
2. Is there one key obstacle which if you conquered it would make a decisive difference in reaching your goal?
3. Relax for a minute and pay attention to what’s going on inside you. Where do you feel pressure or strain/stress around this idea or situation?
4. What’s driving your responses?
5. What belief is behind your responses and how well is that belief serving you?

If you commit to analyzing your obstacles to determine if they are internal or external, and then do whatever it takes to overcome them, I guarantee you’ll find it easier to accomplish anything you set your mind to. Having a support network of people who you can bounce ideas off of, receive honest feedback from, and hold you accountable for the decisions you make will also help you continue to move forward towards your intended results. If you do not have a support network of at least 4 - 6 people, create one now.

Have a wonderful day, and remember to keep your eyes open for all the exciting possibilities within and around you!

Kris Cavanaugh, of Transformation Journeys, is a certified coach. Kris provides life coaching services for mid to senior-level professionals who are stuck or overwhelmed and want to take back control of their lives. Unlike most life coaches, Kris employs a very business-like, strategic planning approach and structure that empowers them with the ability to quickly move forward through difficult obstacles to achieve their goals and life visions more easily and consistently. Kris' clients experience a higher quality of life by the end of her coaching program, allowing them to gain a deeper sense of well-being and satisfaction in every area of their life. To receive a FREE "Living Your Life On Purpose" email series or to schedule a "Design Your Life" meeting, click on http://www.transformationjourneys.com/ or call 404-551-3601. A full biography can be found in the "About Kris" section of her website.

© 2009 Transformation Journeys Inc.
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEBSITE?
You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:
Kris Cavanaugh, of Transformation Journeys, is a certified coach. Kris provides life coaching services for mid to senior-level professionals who are stuck or overwhelmed and want to take back control of their lives. Unlike most life coaches, Kris employs a very business-like, strategic planning approach and structure that empowers them with the ability to quickly move forward through difficult obstacles to achieve their goals and life visions more easily and consistently. Kris' clients experience a higher quality of life by the end of her coaching program, allowing them to gain a deeper sense of well-being and satisfaction in every area of their life. To receive a FREE "Living Your Life On Purpose" email series or to schedule a "Design Your Life" meeting, click on http://www.transformationjourneys.com/ or call 404-551-3601. A full biography can be found in the "About Kris" section of her website.

Obstacles to Success – Part 1

Everyone has an ideal vision of how they would like their life to be, and typically obstacles always appear which make it more difficult to make those visions a reality. The easy part is expecting obstacles to get in the way of what we truly desire. The real challenge is to investigate the reason behind the obstacle and find ways to overcome it.

Obstacles cause us to lose momentum as we are trying to achieve our visions and goals. They often make us feel stuck. Sadly, the longer we feel stuck, the more likely we are to give up on whatever it is we were striving towards.

The best thing we can do when facing an obstacle is to consider the obstacle a wonderful opportunity to learn something new about ourselves. Yes, you read that correctly - obstacles are a WONDERFUL way to help us improve our personal development skills. I can attest to that personally.

There have been times in my life that I set out to achieve or obtain something that was very important to me. Inevitably, along the way, I encountered obstacles both big and small. Sometimes the process of overcoming those obstacles helped me improve personality traits that needed to be adjusted, and other times the process uncovered new abilities I didn't even know existed. For me, it's always a neat experience to look back and see how I've changed for the better during a challenging time. My attitude about obstacles is my biggest asset: I don't usually like them, but I always respect their ability to make me a better person over time.

One of the reasons the coaching industry has been so successful over the last decade is because people are genuinely tired of being stuck in whatever circumstance they are in. When that "stuck" feeling gets too overwhelming to ignore, people often invest in a coaching program to help them move forward. I always tell my clients before they start their coaching program that the change process will often be difficult. Below is a section of my contract that I ask my clients to read and sign, just to make sure they are aware of what it will take to successfully achieve the life they want. Note the bold area in the second paragraph which specifically addresses the obstacles they will encounter:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Coaching is a process full of thought provoking questions, leading to deeper insight and direction, and ending with strategic plans to achieve your dreams and goals. This process will be successful if you commit to doing the assigned homework, utilizing the tools and resources provided, and most importantly, working on the action plans established.

You are investing in this coaching program because you desire changes in your personal or professional life. It is important to remember the change process may bring periods of intense joy or intense discomfort. As you are experiencing the forward movement of change, celebrate whichever period you are in - because it means you are getting much closer to where you desire to be in your personal or professional life.

Finally, as your coach I will ensure your success by committing to providing a safe environment in which you can be yourself, and experiment, fantasize, and strategize about your life and choices without limitation. I will challenge you to step outside your comfort zones to tap into your potential. I will speak the truth as I see it, even if you may not like what you hear (because my job is to ensure that you stay on track with the vision for your life). I will also keep our conversations confidential so that you are free to express yourself however you are feeling in the moment."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The bigger your dreams, the more obstacles you will inevitably face. How you handle them is the often the key factor towards your road to success. So the next time you are facing an obstacle, take a deep breath and focus on what you can learn instead of the "pain" you are currently feeling.

In Part 2 of this series (titled “Obstacles to Success – Part 2”), we will discuss the two kinds of obstacles people often face: internal and external.

Identifying & Tackling Obstacles Exercise

Think about a current obstacle you are facing: a circumstance you are tolerating, a difficult conflict you are struggling with, or a change you don’t want to make, but know you need to.

~What is stopping you?
~What makes this hard to get done?
~What one resource or tool would make all the difference if you had it?
~What’s the worse-case scenario if you did decide to tackle this issue once and for all?

Spend time thinking about the answers to those questions, and let me know if I can help you in any way.

Have a wonderful day, and remember to keep your eyes open for all the exciting possibilities within and around you!

Kris Cavanaugh, of Transformation Journeys, is a certified coach. Kris provides life coaching services for mid to senior-level professionals who are stuck or overwhelmed and want to take back control of their lives. Unlike most life coaches, Kris employs a very business-like, strategic planning approach and structure that empowers them with the ability to quickly move forward through difficult obstacles to achieve their goals and life visions more easily and consistently. Kris' clients experience a higher quality of life by the end of her coaching program, allowing them to gain a deeper sense of well-being and satisfaction in every area of their life. To receive a FREE "Living Your Life On Purpose" email series or to schedule a "Design Your Life" meeting, click on www.transformationjourneys.com or call 404-551-3601. A full biography can be found in the "About Kris" section of her website.
© 2009 Transformation Journeys Inc.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEBSITE?
You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:
Kris Cavanaugh, of Transformation Journeys, is a certified coach. Kris provides life coaching services for mid to senior-level professionals who are stuck or overwhelmed and want to take back control of their lives. Unlike most life coaches, Kris employs a very business-like, strategic planning approach and structure that empowers them with the ability to quickly move forward through difficult obstacles to achieve their goals and life visions more easily and consistently. Kris' clients experience a higher quality of life by the end of her coaching program, allowing them to gain a deeper sense of well-being and satisfaction in every area of their life. To receive a FREE "Living Your Life On Purpose" email series or to schedule a "Design Your Life" meeting, click on www.transformationjourneys.com or call 404-551-3601. A full biography can be found in the "About Kris" section of her website.

Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference

In my opinion, "Success" is two parts attitude, one part skill. Accomplishing a skill is fairly easy: you find out how to do something, and then practice until you have it down. Maintaining a positive attitude in the face of difficulty, however, is much more difficult.

Most people start out with a positive attitude when striving to accomplish a goal. But somewhere along the way, when obstacles appear and forward movement slows to a crawl, a person's attitude will make all the difference between success and failure.

Not only does a positive attitude directly affect one's success, research has also proven that people live longer and are happier through regular positive thinking. An article on the Mayo Clinic's website states: "Researchers continue to explore the effects of positive thinking and optimism on health. Health benefits that positive thinking may provide include:
• Decreased negative stress
• Greater resistance to catching the common cold
• A sense of well-being and improved health
• Reduced risk of coronary artery disease
• Easier breathing if you have certain lung diseases, such as emphysema
• Improved coping ability for women with high-risk pregnancies
• Better coping skills during hardships

It's unclear why people who engage in positive thinking experience these health benefits. But one theory is that having a positive outlook enables you to cope better with stressful situations, which reduces the harmful health effects of stress on your body." (Mayo Clinic website: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/positive-thinking/SR00009).

Take some time today to do an attitude check. Think about your life over the past three months. How often was your attitude positive? Were you able to maintain that positive attitude even in the face of difficulty? How did your attitude affect everyone around you? What affects has your attitude had on your physical health?

The answers to those questions are important. Spend a few moments really being honest with yourself. Once you are clear in how your attitude has been affecting your goals, the people around you, and your mental and physical health, make a commitment to implement a plan to improve your attitude however you need to this year in order develop a foundation for success in 2009.

Have a wonderful day, and remember to keep your eyes open for all the exciting possibilities within and around you!

Kris Cavanaugh, of Transformation Journeys, is a certified coach. Kris provides life coaching services for mid to senior-level professionals who are stuck or overwhelmed and want to take back control of their lives. Unlike most life coaches, Kris employs a very business-like, strategic planning approach and structure that empowers them with the ability to quickly move forward through difficult obstacles to achieve their goals and life visions more easily and consistently. Kris' clients experience a higher quality of life by the end of her coaching program, allowing them to gain a deeper sense of well-being and satisfaction in every area of their life. To receive a FREE "Living Your Life On Purpose" email series or to schedule a "Design Your Life" meeting, click on www.transformationjourneys.com or call 404-551-3601. A full biography can be found in the "About Kris" section of her website.