Incorporate obstacles into your goal messages

Sometimes it can feel like you do everything right and the world conspires against you to foul things up. Ever get that feeling? You’re climbing toward your goals, struggling to get a grip, and something (or someone) gets in your way. It’s enough to make you want to throw up your arms in exasperation.

A number of years ago, I handled an obstacle when I was presenting to a rather large group. What I encountered was literally a physical obstacle. It was a great big pillar obstructing the view of many attendees.

Soon as I stepped on the platform and looked into the audience, I realize there was a problem.

POINT: When you encounter an obstacle, you have a choice.

At that moment, I knew I could either carry on and pretend there was no obstacle, or I could address it directly. I chose the latter.

Stepping down from the stage, I began speaking while walking amongst the attendees. I moved so that everyone could see me. And I spoke about the pillar in the way. Those people stuck behind it couldn’t have been happy, so I acknowledged their disappointment and challenge and I likened it to people and circumstances that blocked them from their goals.

TIP: Incorporate your obstacle into your messaging.

Instead of ignoring the unfortunate limitations of the room and the lack of visibility, I spoke about the pillar directly. It was, quite literally, the elephant in the room. I chose to incorporate it into my presentation and used it as a metaphor for obstacles getting in the way of us reaching goals, losing sight of what we really want to see, and increasing our frustration.

What obstacles are you facing these days? How can you use those obstacles to reinforce your message? How can they be examples of how to manage and cope?

After my presentation was over, many people came up to me (most of them being those stuck behind the pillar), commenting on how they enjoyed the elegant way I addressed the situation and used the pillar as a symbol of obstacles to be managed.

To this day, when I face an obstacle, I think of that pillar and I ask myself how I can use that challenge to pump up my message. It’s become a metaphor to me of how to address an obstacle head on and to share the lessons learned with others.

What obstacles are you facing these days? And most importantly, how can you use them to propel your goals forward?