Life arrives like a jigsaw puzzle: disassembled and in random pieces. Our job is to figure out how everything fits together and what our purpose is.
There are many times when the pieces seem to interlock easily, and we clearly see where we are headed. Still, sometimes, no matter how experienced we are at putting the pieces together, we encounter an obstacle: that one funky piece that we just can’t find or swear is missing from the box. In these moments, we all have our own ways of overcoming that obstacle and finding the next step in the journey.
Over the years, clients have shared with me the ways in which they overcome obstacles in life and the things they do that keep them motivated and moving in the right direction. Here are ten of the most common ones I hear in no specific order:
- Hearing stories about other peoples’ success in overcoming things more serious and significant than what I am facing.
- Inspirational quotes and books.
- Out of necessity and because I don’t have the option to stop moving forward.
- Visualizing what success looks like and taking the time to create a vision board, goals tracker, etc.
- Reliving past moments where I had success and seeing how I can use that to energize and give me new insights into my current situation.
- Being responsible, and because I need to keep going ahead.
- There is something bigger than myself involved.
- Reaching out to others and like-minded people for support who can share their experiences and ideas.
- Proving something to someone else.
- Taking time away to think and decide if it is really the right move.
I’m also curious about what keeps you motivated and moving in the right direction. Which of these resonate with you, and do you have one that works and isn’t on the list? Let me know what works best for you.