The Monthly Guide / Are Obstacles Getting in the Way of Your Business?

Negative beliefs are a huge stumbling block. If you don’t believe that you’re worthy of success, or you tell yourself you don’t have the ability to run a business – that’s exactly the results you’ll get.

You need to change your limiting beliefs in order to succeed.

Whatever you think you lack, make improvements in yourself. Read, learn, acquire new skills, grow and become a better version of yourself. As you do, the negative beliefs will fade away and you’ll be able to go after your goals.

Habits.
Habits are deceptive obstacles. There are good and bad habits. But if your habit sabotages your ability to work on your business, or acquire new knowledge – then they need to change. Read about habits and how to change them. There are many books and articles dealing with establishing better and more productive habits.

Developing better habits can be done one small step at a time until it becomes a habit that helps you achieve your biggest goal.

Inaction.
Inaction is a trap we all fall into. It’s easy to do nothing. It’s painless to dream about what you want and plan what you’ll do, then to actually do it.

It’s easier to take a little action once in a while and fool yourself into believing your progressing, then it is to have a plan and work at it every day. Without steady movement, there’ll be no progress.

Mindset.
Mindset is key. The wrong mindset can be the greatest drawback to your success. If you believe that you have only a certain ability and you can’t ever be better, or there is only so much in the world and you can’t get a piece of it —then you’re suffering from a scarcity mindset.

Change your outlook and develop an abundance mindset. Believe that you can have what you want if you work for it. Believe that there’s enough in the world for you to achieve your goals. And then learn what you need to learn, and do what you need to do. Stay open to ideas and opportunities. You’ll develop a more positive view and increase your capacity to act.

People.
People can stand in your way, too. You may find that people in your life will be non-supportive of your dreams and plans. It can be a spouse, family member or friends. They may add to your self-doubts, or warn you of terrible consequences if you start a business or leave your job.

Recognize these naysayers and don’t let them interfere with your objectives. If possible, stop sharing your intentions with them and find like-minded people who you can talk to, and will listen to you and offer sound advice.

Money.
Money can be a barrier, but it needn’t be. You may believe you can’t start a business without money. That you need to find investors or secure a loan.

In most cases, you don’t need big sums of money, nor will it be easy to get. Instead, you can bring your business far by self-funding. To look at some money options, read  Why You Don’t Need Outside Funding and What to Do Instead.

Limited time.
Time is limited for everyone. You may identify time as your biggest obstacle because your work, have children to care for, or a parent that needs your help. While these are clearly constraints to working on a new business, they don’t have to doom you to stay at a job.

Carefully, schedule the time you do have, (commuting, lunchtime, after everyone’s asleep) and make the most out of what you have.  Plan to take the most important actions first. Those things that need to be done before anything else and will have the most impact.

Problem Situations.
Any situation can suddenly appear and get in your way. Accept that problems will occur and stay flexible. Identify those that you see as a potential problem, such as a new rule or regulation, or a change in procedure. They could delay the start of your business. Consider the things that can go wrong and plan for them.

Next Step

Think about which of these nine obstacles is stopping you. Maybe there are several. Maybe there are others that are not included here. Whatever they are, identifying them is the first step to changing them. Finding and eliminating roadblocks is as important as every other part of planning your business.

Even with the perfect idea, obstacles can derail you from moving forward.

Conclusion

Don’t let obstacles stop you. If you want it badly enough, you can and will work around it. You are the ultimate obstacle.

If you need help finding an idea to start your business, check out the Idea Finder Course and Brainstorming Session.