Five Strategies To Overcome Your Obstacles

I am a fan of doing what you can right now. I love having a plan, but as someone said the best laid plans of mice and men sometimes hit a snag (my paraphrase). In those moments, it is easy to pull over to the side of the road and wait for the perfect moment to proceed.

Most often there are no perfect moments and you can spend a lot of time stalled. So, why not make some progress even if it’s not entirely where you want to end up?

The best leaders know this. Think of the people we revere. Winston Churchill saved England by making small progress in the midst of a withering daily attack on his beloved country. First responders know their job is to save everybody when the house is on fire, but they start with one and do what they can. We love those people because they, like Churchill, never give up.

Waiting on perfection can also become an excuse for not trying. Don’t let that happen. Create and keep momentum even if it’s in small increments.

Here are Five ways to help you move forward even in the most difficult of times and circumstances:

Strategy 1: Change the way you see the world and your situation. 

Take a minute and take stock of where you really are. When a crisis happens it’s hard to separate fiction from reality. We tend to immediately go to the worst case scenario. But, if you get quiet and take a deep breath or two and think, you will see that where you are isn’t as bad as you thought. Others have it worse. Count your blessings. Figure out a way forward and start walking.
Perspective is everything. Change yours. You don’t have to be happy about what has happened to you, but you can find joy there in spite of it. You get to choose how you receive trouble. Choose wisely.

Strategy 2: Find the silver lining

I know. It’s aggravating sometimes to be around ultra positive people that never see the doom and gloom. But, no matter how corny it may sound, there is always good in everything, a silver lining of some kind.
I have had some big disappointments throughout my life and occasionally there is a roadblock that appears out of nowhere. As I look back now I am actually thankful for all of that because it brought me to where I am today. I wouldn’t be here if those events hadn’t happened. Being forced to reconsider where I am and where I want to go turned out to be a godsend. There’s nothing like a good roadblock to start some deep thinking.
Embrace it.

Strategy 3: As much as possible, choose who you go on the journey with.

Surround yourself with can-do people who are not Pollyanas. Find friends and associates who care about you and will be honest with you. But discard the constant naysayers. They will never celebrate your victories with you and they will only see the dark clouds of danger in any difficult endeavor, never the silver lining.
You probably already know who those people are. Bring them in close and keep them there. Be this for others in your life as well. We’re all going through something. Be an encourager and a trusted adviser.

Strategy 4: See failure differently. 

Apparently Thomas Edison wasn’t bothered at all that it took 10,000 thousand tries to invent the light bulb. He explained that the first 9,999 attempts were exceedingly helpful in informing him about what didn’t work. He never would have gotten there without them.
Most people stop too soon. They miss the great thing that might be around the next corner. Failure is a great teacher. Learn what you need to learn and then get going. Something great is out there for you. And when you find it, you’ll see why failures along the way are so important.

Strategy 5: Finish well. 

It is my firm belief that we are never done. Life is a journey from start to finish. So finish well. Don’t have regrets about what you didn’t try. Go ahead and try. Give it all you have.
Yes, these are unprecedented times. Yes, these are unprecedented times. You may have lost a business, a good job or a loved one during all of this. If so, it is healthy to grieve and seek out professional help if you need it.

Your best days are ahead. Go find them.

I wish you all the best,
Jill

It is a true privilege to be a columnist at Forbes. Forbes is a community of talented people with deep knowledge in their genre.