self-help » Empowering Your Mind

3 Tips to Handle Obstacles

Apr 182019

Most people spin off course when an obstacle arises. They don’t seek for the core of the problem and just react. This can make it worse. But you can take charge and discover a lasting solution. Learn what to ask yourself to get yourself back on course.

Transcript:

Thank you for watching. I’m Linda-Ann Stewart, a vision strategist. Today, I’d like to give you 3 tips on how to take charge and handle obstacles. If you don’t know what to do when trouble arises, it can send you spinning off course, can’t it?

Unfortunately, when most people hit an obstacle, they aren’t even sure what the problem is. They just look at what’s obvious and don’t investigate any further, right? This generally won’t solve the problem and may just get you in deeper.

So your first step is to discover what the obstacle actually is. Don’t just react or you could make it worse. Ask yourself if the problem is what’s showing up, like miscommunication, or if it’s a deeper, systemic issue? Keep digging until you identify the core of the obstacle. Once you do, you’ll be able to find creative solutions that will last.

Second, take responsibility for your part in contributing to the obstacle. Sometimes you have had a part in creating it, and sometimes you haven’t. But you still have responsibility to contribute to the solution. Ask yourself these questions, “What could I have done differently to prevent it?” and “What can I do differently from this point on to improve the result?” The answers you come up with will help prevent similar issues from arising.

Third, ask yourself, “What can I learn from this?” Because there’s always something for you to learn to use in the future. This is how we grow, develop and gain experience. If you don’t learn from it, you’ll continue to repeat the pattern, and I don’t think you want that, do you? When you’ve determined what you’ve learned, you can put it into practice.

These 3 tips will get you back on course. About 85% of your success is due to your mindset, which affects how you respond to life and to challenges. By taking charge when an obstacle arises, you empower yourself to work through it and become more successful.

If you’d like more tips on how to increase your productivity and accelerate your success, download my free guide, Take Control of Your Day.

Thank you for watching. Can you commit to putting these tips into action in your life?

Read the accompanying article How Accountability Can Increase Your Success.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

How Accountability Can Increase Your Success

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Apr 042019

by Linda-Ann Stewart

You want to start exercising to improve your health and fitness. But you can’t ever find the time to get to the gym or outdoors for a run. Life tends to push you, solving problems, dealing with issues, and handling crises. And your goal to exercise becomes a casualty.

Or you wanted to put together a new offer or product for your business by a certain date. But because other situations came up, you missed that self-imposed deadline. Life kept you distracted, and you didn’t focus on your offer or make it a priority.

With your life being so full and driven nowadays, it’s hard to set and reach goals. Goals take you off the beaten path, and set you on a new one. That takes energy, attention and persistence, qualities that are hard to maintain in today’s world. But if you are accountable, you can have a 76% greater likelihood of achieving your goal.

What Is Accountability?

Accountability isn’t handing over your responsibility or authority to someone else. Nor is it about blame, shame, guilt, judgment or punishment if you don’t meet your goal. It’s simply a way to keep yourself on track to your vision by committing to a goal, writing it down or telling someone about your plans.

For a goal of your choosing, you aren’t required to justify your decisions, actions or inactions if you fail. However, excuses aren’t acceptable. By being accountable, you’re taking responsibility for fulfilling whatever intention you’ve deemed to be important. You’re communicating to yourself and the Universe that your goal is a priority for you.

Ways You Can Be Accountable and Increase Your Success

Whether you want to change a habit, improve your life or build a business, accountability will accelerate your progress. There are a lot of ways you can become more accountable and some are more successful than others. Here are 5 ways you can be accountable. Choose the one that gives you the best chance for success.

1. Be self-directed. Think about your goal, how important it is to you, and what level of commitment and motivation you’re willing to have. This has the least likelihood of being successful, because it’s subjective and based on your level of self-discipline. However, I’ve used this tactic to maintain an exercise practice for almost five years because I was highly motivated.

2. Write down your goals and action steps. You’ve heard about how writing your goals down give you a greater chance of success. A Dominican University study found that if you do this, you have a 60% likelihood of achieving your goal. Keep referring to your goals to see if you’re taking the steps you’ve established.

3. Find an accountability partner. Tell or email a trusted friend about your goal, commitment and action plan. Someone now knows about what you want to do and will support and celebrate your efforts. I don’t generally recommend a close loved one for this role. Unfortunately, the loved one often gets too attached to the result and makes misguided efforts to motivate the goal achiever. These efforts often backfire.

4. Join or create a mastermind or accountability group. This takes the accountability partner approach to the next level. Not only do you tell a person or persons about your goal and plan, you also check in with them periodically (weekly), reporting your progress. With a mastermind, you’re also exchanging ideas to help you overcome challenges. This regular progress reports tactic gives you a 76% chance of achieving your goal.

5. Find a coach. Hiring a coach means you’ve invested in your success. People tend to be more productive when they’ve committed to a goal with their hard earned currency. A coach can not only help you gain clarity and work through obstacles, they can also keep you focused, motivated and on track. They’re objective, and can give you a different perspective and make sure you’re sticking to your priorities.

When you are honest and accountable about your progress, or lack of it, you hold yourself to a higher standard. You are being accountable to and for yourself, and to the Universe. This increases your sense of empowerment, self-worth, responsibility and effectiveness. Choose the best accountability method for you and reach for the stars.

Affirmation:
The Universe responds according to my thoughts and desires. It wants the best for me and will support me in my efforts. When I commit to a course of action, the Universe recognizes my intention and provides everything I need for success. I keep my attention on my goal, knowing that it is possible. And I hold myself accountable for taking the steps that I know to take. The Universe does the rest.

Watch the accompanying video, 3 Tips to Handle Obstacles.

As a vision strategist, hypnotherapist, and speaker, Linda-Ann Stewart helps women entrepreneurs and small business owners who feel stuck, immobilized and overwhelmed to to get clear, focused and on the fast track to the next level of their business. If you'd like some help to reach your goals, apply for her complimentary "Clarify Your Vision" consultation at http://www.Linda-AnnStewart.com/coaching.shtml

4 Reasons Why You Don’t Pursue Your Dream (and What to Do About Them)

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Mar 072019

by Linda-Ann Stewart

Rhoda had always wanted to go to Paris to see the Eiffel Tower, the art in the Louvre and the palaces. It was one of the major things on her bucket list. However, she never took any steps to make it come true and it was a longing that she never satisfied. She was content for it to remain a dream and it unfortunately remained an unrealized goal.

Do you have an important dream that you want to achieve? It could be to quit smoking, lose weight, learn to play the guitar, run a 10K, or build a business. Daydreaming about it and not taking any action won’t bring it into reality. Fantasizing may be fulfilling in the moment, but it will leave you feeling empty when it isn’t achieved. Unless you take action, you won’t trigger the Law of Attraction to work on your behalf.

There are many reasons why you may procrastinate and not pursue your dreams. Here are some of the main ones, and what you can do about them.

1. Your dream takes you out of your comfort zone. Your goal means that so much in your life would change that you’re afraid to get started. If you make these massive shifts too quickly, it would upset your world and you’d probably sabotage your own efforts. For instance, almost 70% of lottery winners go broke within a few years of winning. The windfall takes them too far out of what they’re used to.

To overcome this obstacle, establish a long range plan. Create steps that are comfortable for you to take. For instance, if you want to start eating better, don’t overhaul your diet in a week. Start by including more salads. When that gets familiar, eliminate sugar. Work on one piece at a time until you feel comfortable with it, and then add the next step. By taking action, you instruct the Law of Attraction to draw information and opportunities to you.

2. You’re stuck in planning mode. Planning feels like you’re making progress, but it simply delays taking action. I knew an artist who bought brushes, canvas, and paints, but never used them. Gathering the tools triggered the pleasure circuits in her brain. By not painting, she avoided the anxiety of facing a blank canvas. So she got her reward by simply thinking about what she’d do one day.

Preparation is an important part of any goal. But beware of staying in this place too long or you’ll never realize your dream. Pull together a list of things you need, such as tools, knowledge, skills and tasks to complete. Then begin to follow through on them. As you mark the elements off your to-do list, you’ll get a sense of satisfaction. And the Universe will support you by creating synchronicities that help you.

3. Your dream is not immediate enough. The fulfillment of your dream is too far in the future or too overwhelming. For instance, if you want to lose 50 pounds, you could feel like it’s too difficult. You know it’s going to take a significant shift in your behaviors and you won’t see the final result quickly. So you procrastinate on taking action.

You have to fight through inertia to get started. To combat this, instead of focusing on the 50 pounds, take it in 5 pound increments. You can handle losing 5 pounds. When you set that as your goal, you’ll get that sense of fulfillment, and a job well done, when you see the outcome. With any long range goal, create mini-goals that you can accomplish each week. The brain likes to complete things, and bestows a sense of gratification when you do. And the Universe creates new channels for the Law of Attraction to bring benefits into your life.

4. You don’t have enough motivation. The benefits of your dream aren’t strong or clear enough for you to pursue. For instance, you may want to be healthier and fitter, but your desire isn’t powerful enough for you to change your habits or your routine. So you just keep putting it off.

You can build your enthusiasm for your dream by surrounding yourself with things concerning it. If you want to create, spend time in an art store, a museum, gallery or take a class. To start an exercise program, read articles and books about the benefits you’ll achieve. Immerse yourself in the reasons why you want your goal. The energy will grow until you get started.

When you take action, it tells the Universe that you’re serious and ready to move forward. And the Law of Attraction then begins to draw to you what you need for success.

The solution to each one of these reasons is to start working towards your dream. It doesn’t matter how small the step, as long as you’re moving toward your dream. The brain likes to accomplish things. And achieving small goals is every bit as satisfying to the brain as big goals. Don’t procrastinate any longer. The sooner you begin to work toward your dream, the sooner you’ll reap the joy of the results.

AFFIRMATION

I know I can have what I desire through the Power of my Higher Mind. The Universe wants the best for me, and will support my endeavors to create an improvement in my life. As I take the actions necessary to fulfill my dream, I create the channels through which more good flows to me. The Universe rewards my actions with positive and beneficial results.

Watch the accompanying video How to Build Your Momentum to Achieve Your Goal.

The Hurrier You Go, The Behinder You Get

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Feb 072019

by Linda-Ann Stewart

My grandmother used to quote the novelist Lewis Carroll, “The hurrier I go, the behinder I get.” Recently, I had an extremely busy week that epitomized that sentiment. I had multiple appointments with clients, networking meetings, deadlines for my newsletter and the association’s newsletter I edit. So I was running around trying to get prepared for, or getting things done before the deadlines arrived. Additionally, gravity seemed to be heavier, as everything I got near seemed to end up on the floor. Have you ever had a week like that? It can pull you off center and forget that the Universe has everything in order.

The Lewis Carroll quote is true. Whenever you’re in a hurry, pressured for time, and you try to do things faster, events happen to delay you. You drop your glasses, spill your coffee or forget your water bottle and must go back for it. No matter how hard you try to make up time, you stumble and obstruct yourself. You’re out of the flow of the Universe. It seems like life is against you, creating chaos that you must clean up, search for items or go back to get. And all that time you’re trying to make up never appears.

Stressful Situations

The same is true of circumstances. When you rush into a situation, without thinking it through, you tend to experience problems. You make unwise decisions, and then are stuck as you try to extract yourself. By being so pushed, you don’t consult your inner guidance. For instance, have you ever agreed to help on a committee, and realized later that you didn’t have the time for it? Or have you ever been pressured to buy something, which you did, but later regretted the purchase?

When you’re under stress, as when you’re rushed, you cannot think creatively or resourcefully. Stress puts you into a mindset of fight or flight, and you’re simply trying to survive. You act on impulse and, because you’re moving faster than normal, you become slightly clumsy. That’s when you knock a glass of water or something else onto the floor. If you’re under a lot of pressure, it can move you into a sense of fear. When you’re afraid, you can’t think clearly and remember where you put your keys, glasses or report. These negative emotions mean you shut the Infinite out of your life.

Slow Down

When I realized that I was embodying what my grandmother had warned me about, I stopped rushing around. Even though my time was limited, I knew I had to take control and manage myself better. Whenever I started to spin too fast, I reminded myself to slow down and think things through. I checked in with my inner guidance. Planning ahead can ease a lot of tension. I made myself stop and think ahead to make sure I had everything I needed.

For instance, I had to make myself lunch for the networking meeting, which would end immediately before another appointment. I got lunch ready the night before. After the appointment, I was going to the health food store, so I got my list ready ahead of time. Because I thought things through, I was able to be more relaxed. And once I got home, I could focus and be mentally ready for my virtual coaching client later that afternoon.

As you stop and think, you’re able to access your resourcefulness and ability to view the situation in perspective. You pay attention to what you’re doing in the moment, which allows you to be more present and intentional. By being more mindful, you’re more connected with the Universe and Its peace. And you assess what needs to be done, so you can make appropriate decisions. Gravity returns to normal, and your cup won’t tip over just because it’s near you.

Affirmation:

Everything in my life is in Divine Order, working for my Highest Good. I remember that whenever I feel rushed or pressured. By staying present, I’m able to access my inner guidance, as well as my resources. I’m always connected to the Universe and Its peace. I stay in the flow of the Universe.

Watch the complementary video, 2 Simple Ways to Calm Stress.