Determination to overcome barriers
is the stuff of champions

This page describes how determination, smart objectives and positive self talk form an essential reality therapy in overcoming barriers and in changing the I hate my life rut and mindset.

Determination and self discipline provide the backbone needed to deliver positive action and are one of the most effective strategies for overcoming procrastination.

Wouldn’t it be great if, having set your goals, all you had to do was do it?

And, maybe, for you that’s true.

For most people, however, it can turn out to be a bit more difficult as they run into obstacles and barriers that get in the way.

Barriers can come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, of course, and most may come from within you.

When you can, anticipate obstacles and plan how to avoid them.

But there may always be a few that get through and that will test your determination and self discipline, and may need you to apply some stress management techniques and use positive self talk.

Click here for some inspiring positive quotes and phrases.

Your attitude and response to barriers is a key to delivering success and boosting your self esteem.

Your values and beliefs will play a key part in your determination too.

When an obstacle crops up, the loser's view tends to be, “poor me, I’m a victim, there’s nothing I can do, there goes my life”.

The cop-out view is, “well, I can’t do what I wanted to now, I’ll give up, that's typical of my stupid life”.

The proactive winner's view is, “I’ll find a way to make it work. This is an opportunity to create and a test to overcome. If it was easy, anybody could do it. When I’ve done it, I will feel great at my achievement”.

Click here for some inspiring perseverance quotes to stimulate your self esteem.

Set yourself up for success and facilitate your determination:

If you are passionate about your SMART motivating goals, you will be determined to achieve and not easily put off.

If the gym closes, find another one or buy some weights for use at home or borrow some or make up your own weights or.......find a way, get into the victor's proactive mindset and behaviours.

If you can’t go jogging for some reason, walk up the stairs more quickly, park farther away and walk quickly the extra distance, go dancing or.......find a way to replace the jogging exercise.

You may need to review your priorities and time management.

You may need to explore how best to deal with uncertainty.

As you know, there is always something you can do - you always have a choice - show your self discipline and determination to succeed, work it out and then just do it.

Below are listed some of the common obstacles that may come from within.

High achievers experience these as well but their determination, motivation, self discipline, perseverance and stubbornness help them to avoid procrastination and resist and overcome the barriers.

* it will never work for me

* it’s too hard

* it’s alright for you Dennis....but, i’m different

* I haven’t got the money or the resources or the time

* I’ve tried all this before...it doesn’t work

* I’m not educated enough

* my partner, family, boss or whoever will never buy it or support me

* I can’t do that

* I am risk averse (or my partner is)

* I'm just unlucky

The list could go on and on, of course, but you’ll recognise, I’m sure, the victim and failure mindsets that underlie each of the above statements.

If you find yourself using some of the above to justify your lack of determination or procrastination or to rationalise your copping-out, challenge yourself with the question, "why am I choosing to be less than I can be and deserve to be?"

And then, make a different (better) choice.

The best antidote is the proactive mindset - there is always something you can do to make a difference - and a problem solving technique, both of which are great avoid procrastination strategies.

Techniques to boost your determination, self discipline and proactive mindset

The following are well tried and tested techniques:

* make the obstacle explicit by, for example, writing it down.

Challenge it with the question, “and what’s causing that?”, or the question, “why?”.

Whatever answer that generates, ask the same question again and repeat three more times (this is the 5 whys problem solving technique)

* if this doesn’t help you to overcome the barrier, re-frame it by challenging the assumptions you are making (e.g. ask, “what if......?” - what if your assumptions were different?;

what if you did the opposite of what you’re thinking?

what if X helped you?) or re-frame it by asking, “how can this obstacle be turned into an opportunity?”

* apply the complex adaptive systems idea that small changes can lead to bigger things

Consider what small changes you might do that could lead, in time, to the obstacle eventually being overcome or to an adjacent possibility emerging (e.g. by understanding and working through the change curve).

Don’t worry about a strict cause and effect relationship here.

You may change something without any idea of the effects that may result.

If you’re really stuck, though, just do it and see what happens

if none of the above works, you may want to park up that particular goal and do some re-planning.

* go back to basics and re-question what you are trying to achieve and why.

Tap into your unconscious resources and visualise new goals, opportunities and options. Clarify and set some smart objectives.

Do some self-hypnosis and / or explore coaching as an option.

See the obstacle as a challenge to help you achieve more than you originally expected; to bring out the best in you; and to strengthen your determination in achieving the future of your choice

* treat the obstacles as objections and apply the persuasion techniques to them (and yourself) - especially, magnify the benefits to you of your goals.

Your determination in overcoming barriers means that you will find a way to make it work when others would have given up. Such self discipline will build your self esteem and deliver impressive action.
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