The 6 Top Life Obstacles & How to Overcome Them
Overcome 6 Top Life Obstacles
One of the biggest problems in life is to think we don’t have any problems. Problems, top life obstacles and challenges help us grow and make us better human beings.
Many people say “Yes, I would love to have that all-elusive dream life, but I have a mortgage to pay, a family to provide for and work commitments. In short, I have too many responsibilities.”
“Yes but I’m tried! I’m exhausted! I’m battle fatigued from the relentless challenges life keeps throwing up at me.” I hear you say.
“Couldn’t life just give me a break for once and make things easy for me so I can fast track to an ideal life?”
Be Thankful For Obstacles & Challenges – They Make Us Better
Problems, barriers and fears in life are normal. In fact they are vital in stretching, growing and making us better individuals.
Virtually everyone who has ever consciously improved their life for the better has faced many of the same obstacles as you probably face now. By recognising these obstacles, breaking them down and really assessing your situation clearly, you will be in a far better position to make the possibly tough (but rewarding) decisions to overcome them.
Clarity Helps Overcome Obstacles
In my experience, when people get really clear on their obstacles, they often discover that overcoming them is easier than they initially thought. It’s easy to do, but similarly, it’s easier not to do – so please stay with me here.
It is vitally important as a first step to actually recognise the specific obstacles holding your back. Then, and only then, can you deal with them and flip them into positive strategies to achieve an even more fulfilling lifestyle.
Why Don’t We Get What We Want – Simplified
In a nutshell there are only ever three reasons people don’t get the life they want:
- They don’t really know with any clarity WHAT life they want.
- They don’t really know with any clarity HOW to get it.
- Someone or something gets in the way – OBSTACLES
The 6 Typical Obstacles
Here are the most common 6 types of obstacles:
- Time: Commitments and Responsibilities
“I have commitments such as family, elderly care and employee loyalty.”
“I don’t have the time to invest in making my life better.”
“Taking time out would be selfish.”
- Money: Financial Security and Cash Flow
“I don’t have the money to achieve the life I truly want.”
“I have too many financial burdens/commitments.”
“I don’t want to drop my socially accepted status by living a simpler, less affluent lifestyle.”
Note: Money is an extremely common obstacle for many people. But once you start breaking this one down, and gaining more awareness of your financial commitments and cash flow – you may be surprised that it’s easier to overcome than you think. Less than 5% of people have a cash flow for their own lifestyle, so check out our Financial Freedom Through Personal Cash Flow Blog.
- Confidence: Fear of Change, Failure and Risk
“I don’t believe that I can get the life I want. It will be too hard.”
“I’m not adventurous and I fear risk and change.”
“It is safer to stay in my comfort zone. My future life is uncertain so I will play it safe and not make any changes unless they have a 100% chance of happening.”
“I have a fear of failure in my new lifestyle. What if I don’t like it?”
“I’m uncertain if I can achieve my future life dreams so I won’t risk disappointing myself. Perhaps I just want to be normal and don’t want to stand out.”
“My vision is huge. It seems like a mountain and I feel too overwhelmed to even start climbing.”
- Skills: Not Capable Enough
“I lack the qualifications and education to do that.”
“I don’t have the ability or skills to take the next step.”
“I’m too old… I’m too young … I’m not experienced enough.”
- Support: Acceptance of Family & Friends
“Attitudes of parents, family and friends are important to me.”
“I want to be accepted by others. I don’t want to be judged and resented by others by making life changes that they may not approve of.”
“I’m fearful of being rejected, suffering emotional pain and embarrassment.”
“If I share my vision with them, they may not support me – or worse still laugh at me.”
”I’m too old to change or to learn new things.”
“I need to be close to family and/or medical support.”
“I’m not sure I want to move. Will a new location give me all I want?”
“I’m fearful of being alone, abandoned and loss of intimacy.”
- Clarity: Not Sure What You Really Want
“I don’t know what I really want out of life.”
“I’m not sure what the next strategies are or the obstacles getting in my way.”
“I don’t trust my own judgement in making decisions about my future life. Would I like it anyway?”
“My life vision isn’t clear enough to give me confidence to pursue it. I can’t decide between life and work options.”
“What next? I don’t know what the next step is, so I am prevented from doing anything. I procrastinate and am not very proactive.”
Others: You may like to identify other obstacles. Are you your own biggest obstacle?
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Breaking Through Your Obstacles
Step 1
From the list above, identify the top three obstacles that are stopping you from achieving the lifestyle vision that you ideally want. Write them as specifically as possible as a sentence, starting with the word “I”. Each sentence needs to identify the obstacle and the vision that the obstacle is stopping you achieving. For example, “I don’t have the finances (the obstacle) to take six months off and travel around Australia (the vision)” or “I can’t go back to university and study (the vision) because due to my work and family responsibilities I don’t have the time (the obstacle).”
Step 2
Now, THIS IS KEY. Flip the sentence into a positively framed question. Start your question with the word ‘How’ or ‘What’. For example, using the above: ‘What do I have to do to get the finances (obstacle) to travel around Australia for six months (vision)?’
Step 3
By asking a better quality question, the answers to the obstacles will become much more obvious. If you get stuck, ask someone independent for some assistance in answering your positively framed questions. Brainstorm answers and solutions to your question, which now become your positive action steps to overcoming your obstacles!
Example Recap
Obstacle: “I don’t have the finances (the obstacle) to take six months off and travel around Australia (the vision)”
Positive question: ‘What do I have to do to get the finances (obstacle) to travel around Australia for six months (vision)?’
Solution-based answers to this obstacle (action steps):
- Get clear on what sort of travel you want and costs.
- Cost it out by doing a budget and cash flow.
- Research ways of cutting travel costs.
- List ways of saving more money now.
- List personal items you could sell.
- Explore ‘smarter not harder’ money-making options.
- Meet with your financial adviser or planner.
- Develop a financial strategy plan.
Almost Anything Is Possible – So Why Not Start The Process Now?
I used this exact process to take 6 months off with my family to travel around Australia in a motorhome a few years ago. So it does work and can be done, whether it be something small, medium (like my trip) or big, such as a career change or new business start-up.
I know someone from one of my programs who wanted the lifestyle that allowed them to have an million dollar beach holiday house. They ended up renting a place and jointly splitting the rental costs with three other people who wanted the same thing. They share their time with the three others for a fraction of the price and reduce the stress of having a mortgage on a million dollar property.
Want a Kick Start – FREE?
As a way of saying thanks for being part of our Life by Design community I have designed Kick Start. It’s a mini personal development course to help you with more simple tools to get more clarity and on the right path.
This complimentary introductory self development course includes:
- FREE 28 page Kick Start Guidebook
- FREE Worksheets & Tools
- FREE Video Lessons
- FREE 5 Day E-Course
