Dream Success: 4 Ways to Overcome Obstacles

Last updated on December 26th, 2010 at 05:28 pm

What we do when a setback appears that makes all the difference in whether or not we achieve our dreams. Many people just up and quit when obstacles appear, or when the dream gets boring, stale or too difficult.

Dream achievement is like this – we go along working little by little on our dream, then there is a setback. Sometimes we are tempted to give up when this happens. But not if you are an active member of 8 Women Dream, and not if you want to end up regretting that you quit from now on.

It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get back up.

I injured my knee while training this week, and have been taking it easy to make sure I don’t make the same mistakes I made when I participated in the triathlon 5 years ago.

Below are 4 ways to overcome obstacles –

1. Get more information about the obstacle you are facing.

One of the first items I found was this video below on running injuries:

Desert Series Episode 23 — You’re injured, now what? from Joe English on Vimeo.

2. Ask an expert who has already accomplished your goal.

A chiropractor I know advised if knee injury pain is on the outside edge of a knee, then it’s likely that it is one of the most common knee complaints: iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS). The recommended cure for this is Walt Reynolds’ ITB Special is an exercise that mimics the running gait and strengthens the iliotibial band.

Instructions for how to do this exercise can be found here.

3. Seek Inspiration.

I found quotes to remind me why I should stay with this dream and placed them on my refrigerator:

• Between you and every goal that you wish to achieve, there is a series of obstacles, and the bigger the goal, the bigger the obstacles. Your decision to be, have and do something out of the ordinary entails facing difficulties and challenges that are out of the ordinary as well. Sometimes your greatest asset is simply your ability to stay with it longer than anyone else. ~ Brian Tracy
• It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop. ~ Confucius
• Perseverance is a great element of success. If you knock long enough and loud enough at the gate, you are sure to wake up somebody. ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

4. Re-frame the obstacle.

Maybe I am not meant to run this year’s Bay To Breakers, but instead to power walk it. This doesn’t mean that I cannot run in next year’s Bay To Breakers, it just means I need to look at all my options and consider them without attaching emotion to the outcome. Walking a marathon is fine – I just need to allow myself this option and be proud that I am even entered to be in a marathon at my age!

What about you? Are you staying with your dreams, despite the obstacles? How do you overcome your setbacks?

I’ll be over here icing my knees and continuing on.

Veronica

Veronica rotated off 8 Women Dream as an accomplished dreamer in December 2010 after successfully completing two dreams.