What’s the best business mindset for overcoming obstacles and challenges?
Life and business will always have challenges. If you can maintain your enthusiasm, you’ll find that it’s easier to overcome hard times.
To prepare your business—and yourself—for small and large obstacles that you’re bound to face, the best thing to do is prepare the skills you need to boost and maintain your enthusiasm. After all, enthusiasm is the driving force behind your business, strengthening your will to succeed and thrive.
When times seem tough, these 7 strategies can help you stay on the road to success.
#1 – Picture the Resolution
When you visualize yourself overcoming the business challenge that you’re facing, it can provide the ray of sunshine you need to weather the current storm.
Picturing the resolution helps you avoid getting caught up in the struggle itself. If you focus on the struggle, your mind will get used to a negative pattern of thinking, but picturing the resolution will help you avoid getting caught there.
When you keep your mind on success (or at least the next business win), it’s easier to make a clear plan to get back on the road to achievement.
#2 – Minimize Stress
Make an active effort to reduce your stress. Stress can cause you to dwell on your struggles, and if you’re too focused on your struggles, you’ll have more trouble getting out of them.
A stress-free and clear mind is more likely to lend itself to the enthusiastic person that you know you can be.
According to WebMD, simple ways to prevent stress in everyday life include:
- Exercising regularly
- Keeping a good sleep schedule
- Taking time to meditate and relax
- Eating healthy foods
Although it’s easy to place most of your focus on your business, it’s important to take care of yourself in order to minimize your stress and maintain your enthusiasm.
#3 – Stay Focused
Work on maintaining your focus. It’s easier to sustain enthusiasm when you always know the direction in which you’re headed.
Focus can help you overcome your struggle, and focus can get you to success.
If you’re having a hard time focusing, try one of these techniques:
- Setting a timed “lock” on your phone while you work.
- Using the Pomodoro technique.
- Creating a to-do list with S.M.A.R.T.W.B goals. (Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Relevant, Time-based, Written, Balanced.
#4 – Keep Things Fresh
If you allow your life to fall into a stagnant pattern, it can become the cause of your business struggle! It’s important to vary how you do things and take time to brainstorm new ideas.
You can keep enthusiasm going with fresh thinking.
- Take a short break for a walk to recharge your mind.
- Work at a coffee shop or restaurant with wifi to change the scenery.
- Bounce ideas around with an old colleague to get a new perspective.
#5 – Avoid Procrastination
It’s important to keep yourself moving. If you feel that procrastination is creeping up on you, make an active effort to get rid of it by taking action.
Taking action can help you regain your enthusiasm.
If you find yourself feeling completely gridlocked, try starting with an extremely small task. It doesn’t take a big accomplishment to get your momentum going. Before you know it, you’ll be back to handling business as usual!
#6 – Keep an Open Mind
Strive to keep your mind open to new ideas and new ways of doing things. Creative thinking is often backed by enthusiasm.
Many great and successful people were creative thinkers with some amazingly enthusiastic attitudes.
When you feel an idea bubbling up, don’t knock it down! Write down on a piece of paper, or mentally follow the “what if” thread to see where it leads. It could be your next big business move!
#7 – Don’t Sweat the Little Things
When you’re dealing with small setbacks and little things that get in your way, remember that these things will not matter in the long
Redirect your focus back to your plan. Continue redirecting your focus to what matters, and you’ll find that you easily overcome these small annoyances.
When you have a lot of obstacles to overcome on your way to the finish line, you’ll feel a tenfold increase in pride and satisfaction when you achieve your success. Remember: the greatest feeling of success comes from conquering great struggles.
How to Overcome Obstacles in Business
These 7 strategies are just a starting point for overcoming business challenges. Learn more about 7 common obstacles (and how to navigate them), or discover more tips on how to tackle external obstacles.
Do you need help overcoming your current business challenge? Let's schedule a meeting and start working through it together.