Progress in the Way of Obstacles

You and I, we have something in common.

We both hate to see our time wasted. Neither one of us wants to waste energy by putting lots of effort into something that doesn’t hold water. We want to effective, to be productive, to succeed. We want fewer obstacles in our way, fewer things holding us back.

You and I both want to see our time and energy well spent. But I’ll tell you something.

We should treasure obstacles.

That’s not exactly to say that I do this. I know I need to, and I would bet you do. I admit to wishing for smooth sailing, yet obstacles give us roadmaps for our work. They can let us figure out that it’s just not worth it to continue in some cases, given how much time, energy, or money would have to be committed. (Of course, many times people fall prey to the sunk cost fallacy, which would mean they don’t want the resources they previously spent to feel wasted. This often just means more resources get wasted.)

Obstacles highlight tradeoffs, making them explicit for us so we think about them and weigh their merits. Obstacles tell us exactly where the problem is, which means that if we’re paying attention, we know where to look for what to fix.

You probably know by now that the thing hindering your progress, that pesky agenda item that’s been holding you back, the conversation you find terribly uncomfortable but that can’t be avoided, is exactly the threshold you’ll have to break through in order to move on.

If you’re a bad writer, eventually that will be the hurdle you need to get over. You will have an opportunity for magnificence, but only by squeezing out your best writing. Or, if you have problems asking for help, the time will come when that’s the only way to avoid getting let go at your company or getting started on the road back to health.

Being prideful, maybe taking a lower-paying job after losing your last one is a tremendous challenge. Stepping through what seems like a step backward could be your only way forward right now. Public speaking could cause you to tremble in fear, but maybe a would-be girlfriend or boyfriend, or maybe the big boss at your dream company, is in the front row of an audience waiting to be impressed. Obstacle, step forth!

I need to do a better job myself appreciating the obstacles before me, but I can tell you the origins of this thought process. It starts with realizing that daily life is itself offering feedback on my performance and whatever it is that I’m doing, and that if I’m listening, I’m being given signs to point the way leading to improvements and solutions.

Getting better requires listening. Getting better requires being open. Getting better means being aware of signposts, good and bad, and trying to figure out what clues I’m being given. Even if obstacles can be difficult, I know I need to value the information they can provide.

What do you think, Steemit readers?

Are obstacles useful, or should we just get angry and frustrated when they come along?