Obstacles or Opportunities? (Part 2)

Last week, we talked about the need for accurate perception when we find ourself in a challenging situation. Three keys to that are maintaining our composure and our objectivity, and being clear about what we can control and what we cannot. Today, we move on to discuss taking the kind of action that leads to success.

INTELLIGENT ACTION

Most of us take action. But do we choose the wisest action for the situation? Intelligent action requires accurate perception. It’s only through taking consistent, intelligent actions that obstacles are dismantled. And intelligent action often requires courage because the most effective actions are rarely the easiest.

Get Started

Theodore Roosevelt said that we either wear out or rust out, so getting busy is important. You can’t think an obstacle away. You have to start somewhere. So, get started. Often, the best solutions won’t present themselves until you make a few efforts.

And here are some important things to know about that:

1. Getting started is often the hardest part. Whether it’s cleaning out the shed, organizing your closet, or solving a community problem, nothing happens until you act. In most cases, sooner is better than later.

2. Keep moving. How often have you started with great enthusiasm, only to quit after a short period? A little progress can be a dangerous thing. It’s easy to become excited after taking those first few steps, but overcoming obstacles requires ongoing effort.

• Do something each day to move beyond your challenge. Once you have a small amount of momentum, avoid allowing it to slip away. Keep pressing.
• Keep thinking while you’re moving. You can walk and chew gum at the same time. You can think and plan while you’re taking action.

3. Increase your effort. It’s easy to be busy and get little accomplished. Look around your workplace. Most employees have their routine down to a science. Keep your head down, shuffle some papers, check email while no one is watching, and wait for 5:00.

• When did you last put your best effort into anything? We’re so used to operating at 10% we’ve forgotten what 100%, or even 50%, feels like anymore.
• Providing you’re taking intelligent action, an increase in effort will increase your results proportionately.

4. Understand that the circumstances will never be perfect. There will always be some aspect of the current situation that’s less than ideal. The fact that you’re not 100% ready isn’t a viable excuse for failing to act.

Momentum is self-created. Get started so you can get finished.

?

“Fear stifles our thinking and actions. It creates indecisiveness that results in stagnation. I have known talented people who procrastinate indefinitely rather than risk failure. Lost opportunities cause erosion of confidence, and the downward spiral begins.” - Charles Stanley

?

IT’S INTELLIGENT ACTION IF IT’S EFFECTIVE

Deal with reality. There’s no value in getting caught up in what should work. Intelligent action is effective action. If your action isn’t creating results, it’s not intelligent action. Preoccupy yourself with what’s working, not what should be working. Be practical.

These strategies will help you to determine what action is intelligent action and move forward accordingly:

1. Measure your results. The best way to know if an action is intelligent is to measure your results regularly. You might be on the “perfect” weight-loss diet, according to experts, but if you’re gaining weight, it’s not an intelligent diet for you.

• Would you follow a diet without weighing yourself? When you act, pay attention to the outcome.

2. Enhance your actions. Your first action might be effective, but is it as effective as it could be? It almost certainly isn’t. Continue testing and refining as you go along. Keep in mind that conditions change. Even if you were fortunate enough to find the perfect process, it won’t be perfect for long.

• Seek regular improvement along the way. This is the only way to guarantee you’ll overcome any obstacle.

3. Be flexible. Focus on being pragmatic instead of clinging to a particular course of action. A straight line might be the shortest path, but sometimes it’s easier to go around the mountain than through it. Be committed to your objective but flexible in your approach.

• Hold tight to your principles and ideals but be creative and flexible in the method you follow. Progress is more important than perfection.

4. Look for clues. Has anyone else successfully overcome the same obstacle? How did they accomplish it? Examine your own past. We often repeat our mistakes. Imagine the change you’d experience in your life if you never made the same mistake twice. Look for clues that will enhance your approach.

Intelligent action is action that creates positive results. It’s that simple. No obstacle can withstand persistent and intelligent action.

?

“Don't wait for extraordinary opportunities. Seize common occasions and make them great. Weak men wait for opportunities; strong men make them.”

- Orison Swett Marden

?

Focus

Time, attention, money, and willpower are limited resources. Overcoming obstacles requires focusing your resources intelligently. Building focus is like building a muscle. It requires intention and effort to encourage growth.

Scattering your attention and resources limits your ability to overcome obstacles:

1. Determine what success looks like. Focus is easier to maintain when you have a clear objective. You might need to find a better job to purchase your dream home. But what does a “better job” really mean? If you feel that it means:

• A salary of $75,000+
• No more than 50 hours per week
• A boss that I respect
• In the pharmaceutical field
• Within 10 miles of my home

Then you can direct your energy and resources wisely because you know exactly what to strive for.

2. Make a list of what you won’t do. Warren Buffett suggests this exercise: Make a list of everything you really want to accomplish and put the list in order. Circle the top three items. His advice is to avoid everything else on the list as if your life depended on it.

• Avoid the distractions in life that don’t matter. Handle your current obstacle. There will be time in the future to accomplish other goals.

3. Create a list of your accomplishments at the end of each day. Success can increase focus. A little progress can fuel your attention. Spend a few minutes at the end of each day listing your successes, no matter how small.

4. Control your thoughts. Keep your thoughts on the actions that will bring about positive results.

Can anything impressive be accomplished without focus? Use your time and other resources to the best of your ability. Distractions may be enjoyable, but they won’t help you conquer your obstacles.

“If you're trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks. I've had them; everybody has had them. But obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.”

- Michael Jordan

?

Expect Failure

Be prepared for things not to work out. While there are many things we can control about ourselves, it’s impossible to control the rest of the world. Even with intelligent action, the results aren’t always positive in the short term. Some obstacles can be too great to overcome. For example, it wasn’t possible for Aristotle to walk on the moon.

1. Failures can provide valuable information. Each failed attempt provides information that can be used to improve your approach or your objective. It’s been said the surest road to success is to fail quickly and often.

2. Failures can result in new opportunities. A failure can provide a chance to learn something new or to perfect a skill. At the very least, failure is an opportunity to learn how to control your emotions.

3. Recognize that failure isn’t final. Abraham Lincoln had many failed business and political endeavors before finally becoming president.

Failure is a common outcome. No one can avoid it. How you deal with failure is within your control. While there will be a few obstacles that can’t be overcome, 99% of the obstacles we face daily don’t fall into that category.

Your best results come from taking consistent, intelligent action. Give your best effort and be prepared to deal with failure.

“All the adversity I've had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me... You may not realize it?when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best?thing in the world for you.”?- Walt Disney

See you next week to talk about determination and persistence!