It happens in business and in life. Whatever project or idea we’re working on comes to a stopping point. Sometimes the abrupt halt comes from an external obstacle like a lack of money or people, but other times the stumble is internal. We run out of energy. Another project captures our attention. We just lose faith in what we’re doing and why. If you’re experiencing this, know that you are NOT ALONE and there are ways around it.

In my life, I’ve found that hitting the wall usually has meaning, but it isn’t always what we think it is. Yes, sometimes it is an indicator that we need to stop and other times it is just a sign that we need to take a different direction or back off for a bit. But how do you know? I’ve come up with three steps to take to see whether this wall is truly a barrier or just a minor detour or annoyance:

1. Take a break. That’s right, sometimes you just need to step back from a situation, let the emotion settle, and then look at it again. When we’re in the middle of something it is very hard to observe it objectively. With some separation and diversion of our attention, the solution can become clear.

2. Ask a friend or mentor for help. Sometimes we’re afraid to tell someone else what we’re thinking, especially if we’re thinking about quitting something, for fear that they’ll think we’re stupid or just weak. If you have the right friends and personal advisors (or even better, a Mastermind Group!), they’ll help you work through the issue and look at it from different perspectives.

3. Take action. Getting stuck in analysis paralysis adds to the frustration. Many times, just taking action – even if it’s small – can help kick-start the forward motion. Even if it is the wrong action, if it is small enough it can be righted and at least it got you moving!

The philosophy that works for me is to choose not to focus on the obstacles because I’ve found that increases your chances of hitting them. You have to acknowledge them, but then focus on the path around them, the Path Forward.

How do you deal when you hit the wall? Any tried and true ways to forge ahead??

This entry was posted on Monday, April 21st, 2008 at 9:12 am and is filed under Work/Life Balance, Business Growth, Entrepreneurship, business success secrets. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.