Obsta Principiis

The tombstone of John Hancock, (one of America’s most influential founding fathers), has the Latin words Obsta Principiis carved in it.? This monumental figure of the American revolution was the President of the Continental Congress during the revolutionary war.? Through his leadership the Declaration of Independence was written, and he was the first signer of this document. Hancock appointed General George Washington and led congress through the war time effort. After the war he served as the governor of the state of Massachusetts for over 11 years. Of all the words this epic figure could have inscribed on his tombstone, he directed a two-word phrase that is a simple piece of advice. Obsta Pricipiis means “to withstand or resist the first approaches of trouble or danger.”? Simply put, the phrase encourages people to act against something before it becomes a bigger, more difficult problem.? To do this, we must first Identify the problem. ?Secondly, we must have courage to confront it.? Lastly, we need to default to action by taking the next logical step.?

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Identify

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Often identifying the problem can be the most difficult step to take when it comes to Obsta Principiis.? One of the reasons we are slow to identify problems is because we are so good at justifying why the problems are “ok” or that, “they just come with the territory.” We convince each other that they are not actual problems. Truthfully, we know when there are issues or problems. Most of us know we should be eating better but we choose not to because it was a stressful day, or because we are celebrating, or because the food in front of us is just so good.? We excuse the problem away and thus we refuse to identify the problem.? The key is to identify the problem early before the excuses have grown so entrenched that they are hard to overcome.? A good example is when someone finds great success in their job.? The reason behind their success is because they were doing activities that led to achievement.? As a person grows and experiences success, they usually take on added responsibilities and tasks to continue the growth.? Often, they focus on these new responsibilities over those that brought them success.? Performance then begins to slip.? Identifying these issues early helps to keep you doing what you know will bring you the most out of your efforts.?

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The key to identifying issues early is to review key data indicators.? What is the data that you review on a regular basis?? Do you have good data around key objectives? Do you review it on a regular basis?? Regularly reviewing data allows you to see anomalies and abnormalities.? As humans we have the great ability to recognize patterns.? When we get in the habit of reviewing key data on a regular basis, we are better able to recognize and identify issues and problems quickly when there is an issue.?

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Courage

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Now that you have identified the problem, it is time to have courage.? We must take bold moves in the direction of solving the issue.? Usually when we identify a problem our initial reaction is to take action. We may even start to move, but then we find reasons to slip into inaction.? We slow things down by saying things like, “We need to wait and see.” or “I need to get more information.”? Often, this is just stalling the inevitable.? We need to heed our first impulse and start to move. ?Even if that movement is small--start taking the steps.? One of the main hinderances to courage is our negative self- talk and self-doubt.? Fight against this mindset. Push through doubt and fear.? Move forward with confidence. Courage is not solving the issue immediately but the fortitude to start dealing with it now.? When we have courage, we move forward!

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Default to Action

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Now it is time to ACT. Problems are solved through action not inaction.? To truly live Obsta Prinicipiis your default setting needs to be action.? We halt action trying to make the RIGHT decision.? The right decision is often an illusion.? There are many decisions we can make during any issue.? Usually, they are on varying degrees of right and wrong.? The more important thing is not to make the right decision but to manage the decision you make.? A good example of this is my marriage.? I made a great decision marrying my wife, but the important part is not the decision I made to marry her, but the daily management of that decision to make my marriage great.? Managing your decisions is more important than making them. So, set your default to ACTION! ?Make the next best decision and manage that decision until it is the right decision.?

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When we live Obsta Prinicipiis, we attack problems when they are manageable.? That means we must identify the problems early, take courage by facing them, and lastly default to action by making decisions and taking the next logical ste