Habit 4 – Overcoming the challenges

Habit 4 requires you to identify and overcome challenges that may impact the achievement of your goals.

You have goals and dreams. You are excited about life and what you want your life to be. You start to make your dreams or ideas into reality. Then you run into challenges – positive (opportunities) and negative (threats).

It’s probably safe to say that every goal we set comes with an array of landmines. These landmines typically manifest as challenges that we must figure out how to overcome.

This where Habit 4 of effective execution comes in – Overcoming the challenges to achieving results.

So, what is going to stop you from achieving your goals, doing the things that you need to do to deliver the results, or taking advantage of opportunities through risk-taking?

And what can you do to keep you on track or overcoming the challenges that are in your way?

Corporate challenges

Some challenges for achieving corporate goals include:

Changing strategy – While organisations should be continually assessing their performance to keep pace with today’s business environment, this continual assessment can have an impact on their long-term strategies. If the market dictates a change in strategy, then goals should be adjusted to reflect that change.
Decision-making process – It is common for goals to be held up by the decision-makers themselves.
Lack of resources – The execution of strategies and goals will depend on the allocation and availability of three types of resources – people, time and money. When one or all of these resources are not available, goals will not be achieved.
Unclear expectations – When goals are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely there can be no confusion about what exactly needs to be done to achieve the goal.
Perceived priority – In today’s fast-changing world, priorities can change quickly. When it does, it will impact goals that are currently being implemented.

Individual challenges

Many people live completely disempowered lives because they have not taken full responsibility for their lives. They believe that they are victims of circumstances that life throws at them. They are having a victim mentality and blaming others for everything.

Mistaken beliefs are negative self-talk or assumptions that you can hold about yourself, other people and life in general. These can hold you back from the things that you want to do or want in life. Examples of mistaken beliefs include:

“I can’t afford to have what I want.”
“I do not have time.”
“I do not have the talent.”
“I do not deserve to have the things I truly want.”

Other challenges for achieving individual goals include:

Haven’t figured out what you want in life.
Not having an effective plan.
Not taking the appropriate action or there is no follow-through.
Fear of not achieving your goals.
Not writing your goals down and be reminded of them daily.
Setting unrealistic or unachievable goals.
Do not have an accountability partner.

Overcoming the risk of uncertainty

Once the challenges to achieving your goal have been identified, implement the best option for addressing or overcoming these uncertainties.

This will inevitably require the allocation of additional resources, which have to be included in your overall implementation plan.

Good strategic planning and execution are not about eliminating the risk of uncertainty but increasing the likelihood of your success.