Turning obstacles into opportunities

Turning Obstacles into Opportunities

Tim Connor

We all face obstacles in life – in business, careers, relationships, finances and health. I believe that it is the obstacles we face and how we handle or overcome them that define our lives and success and happiness. An obstacle for one person can be an opportunity for growth for someone else.  So, what’s the difference – is it the obstacle that defines us or is it the plan, discipline, courage and actions that we take that makes the difference? In all obstacles there are opportunities hidden beneath the surface. 

Obstacles are a normal part of everyday life but it’s how we respond to them that determines the outcomes.  There are several ways we can react to an obstacle;

-Denial, Regret, Anxiety, Confusion, Stress, Uncertainty, Disappointment, Anger, Fear, or; Action, Courage, Confidence, Focus, Calm and Caution.

What determines which approach a person will take?

There are numerous contributors but a few of the more common ones are; a victim or in control mindset, a history of how we have dealt with similar obstacles in the past and their respective outcomes, our self-esteem, our perception of how these obstacles can be handled or not handled and our general life approach as it relates to how we manage life’s circumstances.

Today you will experience an obstacle that you don’t want or didn’t see coming, but in the end they just keep on coming.  The key to sustained success regardless of your roles, responsibilities or position is to creatively turn obstacles into opportunities learning how to see them coming, manage them more positively and developing strategies and approaches to reduce or eliminate their return.

Here are a few steps or strategies for dealing with obstacles.

-Planning – Most people live day to day just taking stuff as it shows up. Yes, sometimes we plan a vacation, activity or some other major action but in general our day to day stuff just happens and we respond. I’m not suggesting you plan every minute of every day but that when there are similar or repeat obstacles in your life that you consider preparing for them in advance and then developing an action plan to deal with them.

-Stay present – Most obstacles force us into the future – what might happen. The thing to keep in mind is that how you act now will have an impact on what happens tomorrow.  The trick is to not let whatever is happening lure you into the future.

-Focus on reality – It is what it is and a great deal of what is, is due to our previous actions, attitudes, decisions or behavior. The past contributes to our now and then the future. Reality is what is and not what we want it to be.

-Carefully evaluate your options – We always have choices.  However, we may not like some of them. Prior to making any decision it is necessary to carefully evaluate our options considering future potential outcomes or consequences of them.

-Manage your emotions - Fear is the number one issue when it comes to obstacles.  No one likes uncertainty or the issues that can contribute to it or the outcomes that we feel we can’t control or solve. The single best thing you can do when it comes to dealing with obstacles is to let go of your fear and believe that one way or another things will turn out ok.

-Revisit your strengths – You are stronger than you are sometimes aware of or even believe.  You have been through challenging times in the past and you have survived.  Learn to count on your lessons learned and the strengths you have gained from past experiences.

-Manage your expectations – The single biggest contributor to disappointment and frustration are your personal expectations about the way things should be or how they should turn out. We can only control what we can control so learn to let go of what you can’t control.

-Accept that obstacles are normal – Life happens and not always the way we want it to – that’s life.  Obstacles are nothing more than temporary detours to your destination.  But even detours will get you where you are heading but you just have to trust the signs.

-Use them to grow - The events in our lives are never just about the event. There is always a deeper meaning or lesson that we can learn if we are open and receptive to the learning. Growth never happens smoothly it always comes with sacrifice, pain, failure or challenges but in the end there is always something we can learn if we are willing.

-Have patience – Patience is an issue for many people today given our fast paced world. We want it to happen now.  We want it solved now.  We want it over now.  We want . . . now. It would be nice if life always operated on our personal schedule but this just isn’t the way life works. A lack of patience is the single biggest contributor to stress. So chill, relax and know that in the end this too shall pass or why not - this too shall prepare me.

-Act with confidence – There are two ways to deal with challenges and obstacles - with confidence and belief or with a mindset of a victim.  Which in the end do you think will carry you through?

-Trust God – I’ll leave it with this. 

By the way, I have developed a new seminar and keynote on this topic.  If your organization or its employees are facing repetitive or challenging obstacles, I would love to share more detail on these steps and other strategies to help you create more positive and timely responses improving overall organization performance and effectiveness.

"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."

Sir Winston Churchill