Stay positive about the problem.
The mind is a very powerful thing, and focusing on something positive is a good way to keep your mindset in the right place. Focusing on the negative, or the obstacle in the way of your success, can enlarge the problem and stop you from moving forward. Do not look at the obstacle as something that was made to stop you, but rather an opportunity to grow and learn.
Psychologist Garret Kramer said “Obstacles are figments of your thinking. That’s why as soon as your old thinking departs, new thinking arrives and obstacles fade away.” Obstacles help enrich your mental experience in so far as building resilience, fortitude and strength. Every time you tackle a problem, you overcome a mental hurdle.
Get perspective from others.
It can overwhelm you when an unforeseen obstacle emerges. You may get caught up in trying to fix it, which takes away your energy and focus on other important problems. Gaining perspective helps you step away from the stress and noise. You are able to look at the problem from different vantage points to consider all options.
You might seek help from others, talk to friends or loved ones who can offer a different assessment of your challenge. They are outsiders looking in, and therefore will have a different mindset all together. They may be able to bring up past experiences that apply to your situation or see some easy solution that you do not. Chat with others about your problem and see if they can offer insight from where they are.
Be kind to yourself.
When you’re facing adversity, it can be hard to keep feeling positive about yourself. When things aren’t going our way we often try to analyze the situation to see where we’re going wrong and end up blaming ourselves. Sometimes when we get to this point, it's best to take a small step back and separate ourselves from the challenge.
It can help to remind yourself that the obstacle ahead is not a reflection of who you are: you are not defined by this challenge. By giving yourself some time to pause, think and breathe you will feel refreshed when you decided to come back to the problem at hand. This can be in the form of meditation, exercise, or even a vacation. Don't beat yourself up over the problem.
Start thinking bigger.
The biggest barrier to achieving success is often ourselves. How often have you thought about doing something challenging, but talk yourself out of ever trying due to fear of failure? We have to start thinking bigger and stop doubting ourselves. Don't limit yourself to what you think you can do or achieve, and instead push yourself outside of your comfort zone.
It's amazing what we can achieve if we just try and believe in ourselves. Having self-confidence doesn't always come naturally, so take the time to learn how to grow yours if you need to. It's an important aspect in making sure you don't limit yourself to a small box.
Set smaller goals.
Major challenges can often appear unachievable when viewed as a whole. The key to delivering success is to break up the challenge you are facing into a number of smaller steps. Each small step can be viewed as a short-term goal. Set your goals up so that you have a mid-term goal, and your final goal. This will make the task look a lot less scary.
Goal-setting is relatively simple if you follow a few simple rules. A goal should be challenging but achievable. Make sure to push yourself out of your comfort zone, but not so much so that you give up easily. In addition, make sure that the goal is measurable so you can monitor your progress on a regular basis. Most importantly, celebrate success. When you achieve a small goal that helps you overcome a challenge, be sure to treat yourself.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Often you may lack finances, strategies or a key piece of knowledge to conquer your obstacle. The key is to acknowledge that it is resource related problem and one that you cannot fix on your own. This is where asking for help is so important. There are others that have the resources you need and would be willing to help you, but only if you seek them out.
Many think that asking for help is a sign of weakness, but in reality asking for help can give you a fresh pair of eyes on your problem. It's time to put down your ego and humbly ask for someone's assistance. Maybe the obstacle you are facing involves the same type of business one of your family members is in. Asking for their expertise can be vital in solving your issue.
Let go of fear of failure.
You might recall Thomas Edison’s well-known passage, where he didn't fail 1,000 times in inventing the light bulb, but rather found 1,000 ways to not to make one. This type of commitment to solving a problem is incredible and one that can be difficult to keep. Thinking you will never be able to solve the problem is a huge way to deter yourself from ever actually trying.
Failure is not a bad thing. Each time you fail, you gain more insight on the problem at hand. Challenges wouldn't be a challenge if they weren't difficult to figure out. Progress always means you are getting somewhere - even if it's only one small step at a time. Continue to move forward, even if it's slowly, because you are still achieving something and are better off than you were before.
