F. O. C. U. S.: O is for Obstacle
by Thad Burkamper
July 30, 2019

As I took a leisurely stroll
To make some headway toward my goal
I heard a faint hiss
And wasn’t amiss
In assuming this may take a toll
So I kept my eyes peeled in my head
And kept moving, but with growing dread
I noticed a snake
Jumped out of its way
And fell off a cliff instead

Obstacles are going to get you one way or another. Focusing on one in particular may create a blindness to others, so the attitude should not be to make an intricate plan for each, but to have an ideology that can account for any obstacles that may arise.

Adapting your mindset to recognize failure as an opportunity to learn and move forward is the first step. Now that you’ve done that, it’s time to start actually taking the steps necessary to move toward your goal.
The next thing to creep up in your mind may easily be the obstacles that have presented themselves already or the knowledge that they will. Obstacles are a test. They test of your preparation, your ability to make quick decisions or small changes to adapt, and, most importantly, they test your ability to handle and learn from failure.


Obstacles, as they come, will run the gamut of very small problems (I call those hiccups) to plan-altering boulders that may put you on your tail-end trying to grasp how bad the damage is and whether you’re willing and able to move on.


In the case of the boulder, you’ll likely find yourself on the bruised end of a failure of some sort, and that’s no big deal, as long as you can recount and account for as many aspects of the plan that failed as possible. Rustle through that information as best you can to determine what changes may need to be made or preparations put in place to navigate that obstacle, should it come up again, and move forward. There is an opportunity in these moments to get a better understanding of who you are and how your particular personality should address obstacles as they shade your path.


Understanding that obstacles will come up is important. Understanding that obstacles are just a test is also important. Understanding that failing these tests is all part of the learning process is more important. Finally, keeping your head level and your feet moving after a test like this is, The Most Important.


Obstacles are opportunities to shine or fail. Failure is an opportunity to learn, adapt, and shine later. Obstacles are ultimately good. No story worth telling ends with, “and nothing happened, and they succeeded.” So, get moving.

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