Robert·ology

Lately it seems that every other day there’s some new hurdle to get over, some new obstacle to overcome, some new patch of ice to slip on. Just when I feel good about the direction I’m heading, something comes along to slow me down or push me on a tangent. How do we keep going through all this? How can you run a business - or your life - when your momentum and spirit is constantly deflated?

Here’s something to remember: these things will happen. If your life is so easy that you never have any problems come up, you probably aren’t doing anything! And I’d rather be pushing my way through the problems than sitting on the ground while everything was going on around me.

So here are five things you need to know in order to overcome any obstacle:

Know where you’re going

If you don’t know your destination, you can’t get there. It’s just not possible. You need a clear definition of your goal. It needs to be something that you can describe to someone else - something definite. When you get there you can compare it to your description and say for certain that it is indeed your goal.

With this, first of all, you can plan a course for yourself. Have you ever planned a trip without knowing the end point? (get Google Map directions for “i don’t know” and see how that goes)

Secondly, if you get knocked off your course, you’ll be able to recognize that and adjust. It’s going to happen. Be ready for it.

Know why you’re going

When you get knocked down, it can be hard to get going again. You feel defeated. But you had a reason for doing what you were doing, right? This is when you need to remember that.

Start out with not only a destination, but also a reason for going there. Maybe you’re working on something that will save the world. Or maybe it’s something that will simply make it easier to find your shoes in the morning. You must have started out with some motivation. Keep that with you.

Write it down. When you start out, write down the reasons why you’re doing this. The times when you’re feeling down are not the times to be searching for motivation. Have it ready.

Know that you are right

On your journey, people will be thinking that you have a stupid idea or that it’s all pointless. They might tell you that you should stop and do something else. Of course they will. We don’t all think the same.

You are the only one that can decide your actions. If you know where you’re going and have a good reason to go there, keep going!

Know that you are wrong

None of us are perfect. We don’t make the best choices each and every time. So if you take a step and hit a brick wall, consider a different step next time.

Don’t just throw the whole thing away. A stumble from a decision on your part could lead to “I don’t know what I’m doing,” or “I should just give up.” But it was only one small step. Look around and find a different path to your goal. You will make mistakes, but walking into the same wall over and over won’t get you far.

Know who you are

Be true to yourself. Only make decisions you’ll be proud of. When you start doing things against your moral compass, you’re defeating yourself. Being proud of what you do makes it easy and pleasant to do more of it.

Question for you

What was your difficult time and how did you get through it?

I want to hear about your obstacles and what you did about them. Were you starting a business and found it tough to make it? Did your customers’ comments make you want to close up and go home? Post your answer to this in the comments.

This entry was posted on Monday, July 7th, 2008 at 1:15 pm and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.