3 Ways to Turn Obstacles into Milestones
ByI have found that there are two ways in which to view the world around you. One can have a positive outlook or one can have a negative outlook. Those struck with a negative view of the world that surrounds them take on a victim’s attitude. Life for them is a never-ending stream of pitfalls, perils and problems. Through the ‘woes-colored glasses’ of the negative attitude, one sees a world filled with inequality, injustice and intolerance. This outlook on the world around them taints their point of view – they do not expect much from the circumstances and people in their life, and thus they do not receive much from the circumstances and people in their life. Worse yet, when things do not go the way they would prefer, they simple tuck their tails between their legs, submissively accept the idea that “that is the way life goes” and believe there is nothing they can do to change it.
On the other side of the attitudinal coin, you will find those with a positive outlook on the world around them. Their view allows them to see a world of opportunity and possibility. While they are aware of the fact that they must work to receive what they want – they know deep inside that everything happens as part of the grand design or process that will eventually result in the success and happiness they desire and deserve.
People from both sides of our attitudinal coin will encounter obstacles, but generally only those with a positive outlook will be empowered enough to see their obstacles as stepping stones or better yet milestones. Do you know the number of times the average person, (whom has a propensity to lean towards a more negative outlook); will try to achieve a goal that is important to them? You may be surprised at the answer. On the average, they will try less than one time. Many never even try once, held back by the internal limitations set by their negative leaning attitude. Eighty percent of one’s limitations are within one’s self. All this leads to an even more interesting point of fact. Successful people fail far more than unsuccessful people do. However, successful people know and utilize three key ingredients to turn these obstacles, failures and frustrations into stepping-stones, milestones and signposts directing them towards their goal. These three ingredients are:
- Learn from your past
- Face your future mistakes
- Cut your losses
Learn from your past
Too many people do not take this important advice – often to the detriment of their lives and their career. Most of us are aware of the wealth of information available via the Internet, course materials and our network of friends, relatives and associates. However, one source of information often forgotten is the pool of knowledge within ourselves gained from the numerous mistakes we have made during the course of our lives and careers. What are the top three mistakes you have made in the past six to twelve months? What could you have done to avoid those mistakes, knowing what you now know? If you had it to do over, what would you do differently? Whom could you consult? At what point in the process of making the mistake could you have corrected it? What were the indicators of the mistake? How soon did they appear? What corrective action or change in direction can be taken now, or the next time a similar mistake is on the horizon?
These are but a few of the questions you can ask yourself in order to learn from your mistakes. In today’s world changes are happening at an ever-increasing speed, you will need to ‘see’ the changes needed and respond accordingly. Learning from your mistakes is an essential skill that will enable and empower you to become a master of change rather than a victim to it.
Face your future mistakes
The more you learn from you past, the better you can plan for your future. As your ability to learn from a mistake increases, you will view future pitfalls, perils and problems as stepping-stones, milestones and signposts redirecting you towards your goal. One important factor here is that you MUST be willing to face your mistakes. Failure to accept the fact that you made a mistake could deal a fatal blow to your success. Statistically speaking, seventy percent of all our decisions will turn out to be wrong. Given the current circumstances and available information they may seem right today, but in the fullness of time and as situations change they become mistakes we must adjust to.
Cut your losses
If seventy percent of our choices turn out to be wrong how does anyone ever become a success? By facing their mistakes and cutting their losses. Here is a key question to help you in this area. Knowing what I now know, would I get into this (business, relationship, endeavor, etc.) today? If the answer is no, then the decision and planning to be made is; how do I get out and how fast? Once you know that you have made a mistake, learn from it and correct your course accordingly. How do you correct or get out of the current situation, and how fast? It is when people and businesses refuse to accept that a mistake as has been made that the consequences continue to build, one upon the other, until it becomes unbearably wounding, and expensive, both personally and professionally.
Success Actions
- What is the largest mistake you have made recently?
- What could you have done to avoid the mistake?
- If you had it to do over, what would you do differently?
- Whom could you consult?
- How quickly could you correct it?
- What were the indicators of the mistake?
- How soon did they appear?
- What corrective action or change in direction can you take now?
- What other lessons can you derive from this mistake?
- What is the one largest milestone (obstacle) that you are facing today?
- What could this milestone teach you?
- If you have faced a similar milestone in the past – how did you overcome it?
- Do you know someone else that has overcome this type of milestone? If yes, consult them for advice to help you set your course
- Define your obstacle in as many different ways as possible
- Brainstorm as many solutions as you can. For any problem, no matter how big, or how complex it may be, there is a solution. All you have to do is find it! For an info on ‘Brainstorming,’ check out my Brainstorming post that will take you though a process and show you how to arrive at your solutions alone or with a group of ‘brains.’
- Set a goal to insure this obstacle becomes merely a milestone – use it to pave the way, not block the way, to your success. To be a goal setter, and more importantly a goal achiever, you have to have a written set of goals. Check my post on the 101s of goal setting.
- Be willing to cut your losses and change your direction on your course to your ultimate success. There is no shame in the making of a mistake if you are able to accept the responsibility, realize you are not perfect and get on with your life.
Think Successfully & Take Action
Tracy Brinkmann
One of Today’s TOP Motivated Coaches & Author of Success Atlas Programs.
