Day 4: Overcoming Obstacles to Achieve Your Goal

Every goal comes with challenges, and identifying them is the first step toward overcoming them. If we are not yet where we want to be, it’s because certain barriers—both internal and external—are holding us back.

Why Aren’t You Already at Your Goal?

If achieving success was easy, we would all be exactly where we want to be. The reason we aren’t there yet is because of constraints—things that limit our speed or progress. Some of these are external, but most are internal roadblocks related to mindset, skills, or habits.

The Theory of Constraints

According to the Theory of Constraints, there is always one key limiting factor that determines how fast we can reach our goal. This bottleneck could be a missing skill, lack of confidence, poor time management, or fear of failure. Identifying and addressing this primary constraint can dramatically accelerate progress.

For example, if the goal is to grow in a leadership role, the biggest constraint might not be external opportunities but rather communication skills or decision-making confidence. If the goal is to start a business, the constraint might be financial literacy or fear of taking risks rather than market conditions.

Applying the 80/20 Rule to Constraints

The 80/20 Rule suggests that 80% of what holds us back is internal, while only 20% is due to external factors. This means that to unlock greater success, we must first work on ourselves—developing skills, refining habits, and shifting our mindset.

Some common internal constraints include:

• Lack of a critical skill – Do you need to upskill in a specific area?
• Fear of failure or rejection – Are you holding yourself back due to self-doubt?
• Lack of discipline or focus – Are distractions slowing down your progress?
• Imposter syndrome – Do you question your worth or abilities?

External constraints (the 20%) may include:

• Market competition
• Limited resources
• Economic conditions
• Lack of support from others

Breaking Through the Barriers

Once we identify the main limiting factor, the focus should be on removing or reducing it. This could mean:

• Acquiring a new skill through training or mentorship.
• Developing resilience by shifting mindset and embracing failure as a learning process.
• Refining focus and discipline by eliminating distractions and setting clear priorities.

The key takeaway? Success starts with personal growth. Overcoming internal barriers will naturally lead to overcoming external challenges. If we focus on mastering what’s within our control, progress becomes inevitable.