Solutions to 9 Obstacles that Will Threaten Your Mission
If you’re anything like me or all the mission-driven founders I work with, you’ve encountered some obstacles on your entrepreneurial journey. You’ve experienced highs, lows, uncertainties, pivots, successes, a rollercoaster of emotions and everything else in between. You may have wanted to burn your whole business to the ground. And I’m here to tell you that all of this messiness is very normal as your work to carry out what’s near and dear to your heart - your mission.
But I also know this. As a heart-centered entrepreneur, you want to make waves in this world. You have a very personal mission to create change for humanity and I can’t let you give up or even slow down (unless of course, you need some rest). The work you are doing is important and we need your gifts. So today we are going to talk about 9 obstacles that you will likely encounter along the way. And because every challenge has a solution, I will also make some suggestions on how to overcome these challenges.
Let’s dive in…
Obstacle #1: Ignoring your dreams because "someday" feels safer.
Let’s be real. Even if you’re subconsciously pushing away your dreams, they are still burning inside you. Your soul’s purpose won’t be ignored and you will get reminders and knocks on your head from the Universe until you pay attention. Of course your dreams feel scary. Most dreams do. That doesn’t mean you should delay your mission.
Solution: Give your dreams and goals a voice. Get out a piece of paper and write down all your wildest ideas. Articulate your vision on paper. Every single detail. Read it out loud every single morning. And if you’re feeling extra brave, share it with someone you trust. Ask the Universe to show you the answers and collaborate with you to make it happen. This exercise will empower you and build a strong belief in your mission.
Obstacle #2: Hesitating when adventure calls, waiting for that ‘perfect’ moment.
You and I both know, a perfect moment will rarely arrive. A common misconception in business is that you need to wait until you “feel ready”. Now there are certainly situations where pausing and analyzing might be the right thing to do, but more often than not, feeling ready is just cause for procrastination. It is your fear talking and trying to keep you safe.
Solution: Ask yourself this question. What is the worst thing that could happen if you acted before you felt “ready”? You might make a mistake. You might feel like a fool. So what. You can survive that. But what if you did the scary thing and you were wildly successful? Entertain that perspective. Take a baby step. Make that phone call. Ask to be a guest on that podcast you love. Submit your article to that magazine that all your ideal humans read. Perfect moments don’t exist and time waits for no one. So just do it.
Obstacle #3: Being caught off guard by the storm when you expected smooth sailing.
Phew! 2023 was a tough one huh? I can’t tell you how many business owners I talked to that expressed their relief when 2024 arrived. As if 2024 was going to be so much easier. That remains to be seen. Tough times are a normal part of life, especially being a mission-driven business owner. That failure to anticipate these hard times will surely derail your success.
Solution: Build your resilience. One of the things I’ve done to manage the everyday stresses of business is to keep myself grounded. Grounded in my truth, my vision, my emotions and my mindset. Resilience can be learned and the more you practice, the better you will be. Anticipate obstacles because they are inevitable. Constantly check in with yourself to scan your body for stress and negative energy. Take the time to release that by building in stress management habits. Have a solid support system in place that you can turn to when the going gets tough. And Forbes suggests to build your resilience and keep your edge, you must be willing to adapt.
Obstacle #4: Seeing a stumble as a fall, instead of a learning opportunity.
Just recently I had a big stumble, in my humble opinion. One of my team members was going through a period of making frequent, little mistakes. So I did what a good leader should do and scheduled a call with her to talk about what was going on. We developed a plan for moving forward and both of us left the call in a good space. Then another mistake happened. I was frustrated and rather than waiting until I was calm, I approached the situation with frustrated emotions. My response left me feeling defeated and guilty. But rather than beating myself up, I simply apologized and recapped what I learned. Now I am much more careful about calming down before I approach any situation with my team members.
Solution: You are not a failure if you make a mistake. You are going to make mistakes for the rest of your life. Oomph. So the next time you stumble, forgive yourself. Don’t judge your mistakes. Accept it and learn from it. If you hurt another individual, apologize. Embrace your humanness and make note of what that mistake taught you. Put a plan in place to make different choices in the future. And move on.
Obstacle #5: Letting life’s distractions push your ambitions to the back burner.
Not making your goals a priority is going to sabotage your mission. As a heart-centered entrepreneur, you are going to have a million distractions. Your family. Your team. Social media. Business fires. Your health. The list continues. Nonetheless, your success depends on you staying focused and knowing your priorities every single day.
Solution: Balance and boundaries are key. Knowing when and what is important in any given moment helps you know what to focus on. Of course there will be days when everything seems important. But you have to choose. And whatever priorities you choose, everything else needs to be moved out of the way to make space for that to happen. If you are feeling overwhelmed, rest or a good walk is a priority. If you’ve been putting off a project, today is the day to complete it. If a client is experiencing a crisis, he/she may be your priority. Setting boundaries to make room for your priorities will often disappoint people. That is okay. You and your goals are just as important as anyone else’s. Tomorrow is a new day with a new opportunity to choose your priorities.
Obstacle #6: Downplaying the challenge, then wondering why it’s so hard.
Last year, one of our clients wanted a new website. Not just any website, but a sexy website that showcased her expertise and large personality. Now she is a busy woman and I think she underestimated how much work goes into building a gorgeous website. Even though I clearly outlined what we would need from her, I don’t think she realized how hard it might be. She literally told me “You kicked my ass in this project.” It’s not uncommon for business owners to have these grand ideas, only to come to a screeching halt when confronted with all that’s involved.
Solution: Do your research first. Understand as deeply as possible what you are walking into. Although sometimes we might not fully understand the magnitude until we are deep in the trenches, a lot of the unknown can be known upfront. If you can stay neutral when you approach challenges, it is a lot easier to manage unexpected turns. You don’t have to expect that things will be hard, but don’t expect that they won’t be either. Find out what you can, have a plan in place, and then be willing and open if things don’t go as planned.
Obstacle #7: Throwing in the towel when you’re just a step away from victory.
Giving up before you see results is not unusual. A lot of business owners do. But a lot don’t and you hear about these inspirational victories all the time. The only time you should throw in the towel is when you no longer feel aligned with your mission or goal, and your heart and soul just isn’t into it. Otherwise, keep going.
Solution: If you’re thinking about throwing in the towel, no doubt you are tired and frustrated. This is a sign from the Universe that something isn’t working. Take pause and do an inventory of what’s working well in your business and what isn’t. Write it down so you can see it in front of you. Do some deep meditation about what is robbing you of joy and ask the Universe to reveal the solutions. Maybe it’s time to give up on that particular block, but maybe it’s time for a creative solution. You’ll never know though if you give up.
Obstacle #8: Secretly doubting yourself, just as success is in sight.
Although I don’t have any exact statistics for you, I would bet that most entrepreneurs have a fear of failure or a fear of success. Now that doesn’t mean that most business owners are deterred by that fear, but it’s there. We are human beings. Fear is natural. Self-doubt is normal. There is no judgment in these feelings. It also doesn’t make them true. But that doesn’t stop us from sabotaging ourselves right before the finish line.
Solution: Let’s give those fears some room to breathe, shall we? What are you afraid of? That success will take over your life and you won’t have any time for yourself? That you will fail and your loved ones will judge you? That you will give up and people will say “I told you!”? Even if all of that happens, you will be okay. You will figure it out. You will get through it. Remind yourself of all of the things you have succeeded at. Remember all of the obstacles you have overcome. Work on building that belief in yourself. You are powerful and with the right support system in place, you can handle anything that comes your way.
Obstacle #9: Aiming for the stars, then feeling lost in space.
It’s fun to dream. There is nothing wrong with a big vision. But sometimes we set our sights too high and then feel disappointed when things don’t work out. Let me give you an example. One of my clients was holding a 5-day challenge as a pre-launch event to launch one of her programs. When we discussed her goals, she said she wanted 4000 people to sign up for the challenge and added another lofty goal for how many courses she wanted to sell. No judgment on having big goals. But sometimes when we aim for the stars, it’s a long fall back to Earth.
Solution: Set realistic goals. Hold your vision because that is important, but break that big vision down into more manageable steps. It reminds me of a podcast I hosted with Jennifer Locke, a book writing coach. She often tells her clients that it is so much easier to set a goal to write for 30-60 minutes than to say I am going to write 3000 words everyday. And if you have problems deciding what is reasonable, I always suggest setting a good, better and best goal. What is the goal you can be satisfied with? What goal would be just a little bit better? And finally, what is your ideal goal? Then break that goal into baby steps so you keep your feet on the ground, rather than feeling lost in space.
Did I tell you I was a cheerleader in school for 6 years? Random I know. But my goal with this article is to be your cheerleader. And to give you solutions to the inevitable challenges you will face, so you never give up on your mission. Unless, of course, you want to.
On a Mission Brands is dedicated to helping mission-driven entrepreneurs and organizations capture and captivate their target audience with beautiful, engaging, and memorable brands. Specializing in branding, copywriting, and design, our team of heart-centered marketers goes above and beyond to build brand visibility for our clients. If you're ready to take your brand to new heights, let’s chat.
