6 Ways To Tackle Your

Roadblocks to Success

By Jendayi Harris

What's your definition of success? What is your most important goal you'd like to achieve? Sometimes we get in our own way of being as successful as we would like to be, especially in our financials and careers. Complete each of the “tackle it now” exercises to maximize your results.

Roadblock #1: Negative beliefs around your own personal finances

Maybe you grew up with a lot of negative words or thoughts about money, like “I can’t afford it” or “We’ll never be rich”. These thoughts are not dormant; but they may be working against you. This negative self talk becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Take steps to change these beliefs with effective books like Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, The Millionaire Mind by T Harv Eker, and Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. On a spiritual side there is Money and The Prosperous Soul by Stephen De Silva or The Blessed Life by Robert Morris.

When we're in a better financial situation, we're more effective in business or career. Remember the Bible relates over 2,600 scriptures on money, because it's important to learn how to positively deal with it so we can use it to establish the Kingdom of God by helping others.

Tackle it Now: Decide what three things you can do to improve your personal money mindset. Consider reading a book, swapping fees and advice with a financial advisor, and/or completing a plan or assessment on your own assets. Get these three things done before the end of the month.

Roadblock #2: Keeping your old perceptions of yourself in the way

Another wrong belief that needs to be transformed is between the old you and the new you. There is the you, you know from years of the same mistakes, failures and successes who is competing with the you trying to emerge through the old perceptions into a new frontier.

Are you telling yourself that the same things are true for you today, that may have had more evidence of being true five or ten years ago? Are you repeating the same limiting thoughts in your head? Such as “I will never own a successful business”, or “I am not good getting referrals?”.

Keeping yourself in an old box, with old thoughts and qualities you no longer possess or desire to possess anymore, weigh you’re your results like carrying a bag with ten bricks on your back. It’s time to lighten the load, what qualities do you need to develop to get to the next level? Qualities more conducive to your goal may be discipline, kindness, time management, organization, planning, delegation, boldness, or sales skills. Get out of your own way and transfer old beliefs.

Tackle it Now: Name your bricks. Write a list of the old qualities that aren’t working anymore including behaviors, thoughts, and attitudes about yourself and replace them with the NEW improved version of you. Then, align your actions with the improved version.

Roadblock #3 Unwillingness to pay the cost to reach the goal

It takes hard work and faith to be at a level of success you may desire. Take a few moments to decide what’s most important to you –

Is it time with family and the kids, your health or a few extra hours making calls to reach your income goal?

What's really necessary to change?

What would make you feel good twenty years from now based on the decisions you make today?

Sometimes we may think we want a certain goal, but our actions aren't aligned, because it really may not be worth the sacrifices.


There are generally 4 costs involved in any decision:

Is your goal worth sacrificing the time? Money? Relationships? or Comforts?

You may find your goal isn't worth the costs. Or you may still want the goal, but take smaller steps to reach it over a longer time horizon. Either way, you'll find you can achieve both happiness and your heart’s truest desires, if it is worth it. Many times, temporary pain reaps years of wonderful gain. Think about the life you really desire and decide the amount of hours per week you will dedicate to making calls, exercising, marketing, increasing current client assets, or developing a good work life balance. Use these hours to do what you said you want to do.

Tackle It Now: Decide if it’s worth it. List the costs, and pros and cons to reaching your desired goal and decide what you are willing to do with the time you have. Adjust your goal accordingly. Decide how many hours per day or week you will use to reach your goal.

Roadblock #4: Comfort with mediocrity

There is the test of the thermostat. If you have your thermostat set on 70 degrees in a room, and you open the window to cold winter air, the thermostat would go down to 60 degrees or so and then eventually return to 70 degrees. You have an unconscious thermostat too; it involves your comfort of staying right where you are now in life.

The old adage “can’t teach an old dog new tricks” works against us. Various fears develop when moving from your place of comfort, including asking for help.

Ask yourself, what is it that you could learn? Are you avoiding learning from others who are more successful than you or because they may not know your goal? We can learn from anyone.

To help break down comfort walls get good at asking for advice and guidance from others. Also look to see where you may be holding on to “old tricks” that may feel good, but you know are not supportive. It’s time to take steps to move from where you are “used to being” and take actionable steps to increase your comfort zone to levels needed to attain the desired success.

Tackle It Now: Move out of your comfort zone and take some risks. Write down 25 things you can do, to do your job more effectively and efficiently. It can be as simple as put green plants in the lobby, call your top clients once a month or get a new suit, or as tough as calling all of your top clients to ask for more business. Give yourself a 3-6 month time frame to implement the list.

Roadblock #5: Refusing to take 100% responsibility for what you can change

Do you blame your assistant, your spouse, your kids, your past, your age, your broker dealer, your health, your manager, the market, your expenses or your busy extra-curricular schedule on your lack of success?

I think it may be a natural human emotion to want to blame your issue on anything else, but let’s face it we have the ability to choose how anything affects us, don’t we? It’s time to ask: “How can I complete time prospecting despite the person and/or circumstance of usual blame?” Use whatever the annoyance in your life is, to figure a creative solution in working around it or with it.

Take 100% responsibility of everything going on in your life that you can control or change from this day forward, this will empower you to get to the next level in spite of circumstances and regardless of excuses.

Tackle It Now: Say it out loud, “I will stop blaming and start taking 100% responsibility for my desired life and results.” Now live into it.

Roadblock #6: Avoiding what you want by wasting time

Sometimes we do not see where we're wasting precious time that could help us get to our ultimate desired goal and dream.

 

Are you using your time in undesirable ways? Do you talk too much or over-explain? Are you over-analyzing and under- utilizing the resources including people around you? A lot of your time can be taken from the places that are not fruitful in order to focus attention where it needs to be.


Consider the ways in which you may be poorly using your time. What can you do to recapture time to put toward your goal? Take for example emails or incoming calls. You can let your assistant handle that, or you can reply to emails at two designated time blocks during the day. Maybe you can return phone calls everyday at the end of day or after lunch. Just because the phone rings doesn’t mean that you have to answer it. You are in control of your time and you can decide when you do things. Believe it or not there is such a thing as a fear of failure and fear of success. Give these fears to God if you feel you are wasting time.

Tackle It Now: This week consider making a “model” day. Use time blocking or setting 15, 30 or 60 minutes blocks to complete common general tasks activities like prospecting, meetings, and paperwork. Also implement time limits, so for example keeping all phone calls under 10 minutes. You have power and authority over your time; use it.

You've got six, powerful strategies, to tackle your roadblocks to success. Take action now and let me know the results.