What if there are no problems?

Instead, there are obstacles.

These obstacles literally form the path to your goals.

Because if the obstacles weren’t there, you’d already be where you want to be.

This means that identifying obstacles is the first step to achieving your goals.

Obstacles are part of a polarity pair: on the other side of every obstacle is one or more strategies to overcome it.

The secret is to identify the real obstacles, not the symptoms.

For example if sales are down, that’s not your obstacle, that’s the symptom.

The obstacle could be that your messaging and value is unclear, you don’t have the right salespeople, you don’t have the right audience, or a hundred other things.

To find the real obstacle ask these questions:

1. What are all the possible reasons I have this symptom?

2. For each reason ask “Why?” 5X to get to the root of it.

3. What evidence and data do I have?

4. What isn’t happening that should and how can I measure it?

5. What is happening that shouldn’t and how can I measure it?

Next, create a plan.

1. What is the best way to overcome this obstacle?

2. What resources are required (time, money, people)?

3. What are the major steps?

4. What will we measure to know it’s working?

5. What new problems might this solution create?

6. What questions do I still have and who can answer them?

To get the best results approach this process with curiosity not anxiety.

✅Make a decision.
✅Take action.
✅Evaluate the results.
✅Repeat and never quit.

Do this for each obstacle.

Instead of being in the way, obstacles ARE the way.