27 Overcome all setbacks and obstacles
No campaign plan survives first contact with the enemy.
– Field Marshall Helmuth Graf von Moltke
Lightbulb on black background by Alessandro Bianchi, Unsplash, is licensed under the Unsplash License.
Even though we don’t like adversity in our lives, it is very normal to have setbacks and unexpected obstacles appear in our path of life and our projects. This is especially true when we are doing something of great value, like implementing an innovation in our workplace.
It is so important to take these setbacks and obstacles in stride and find ways to overcome them without giving up on our projects. The best way to find ways to overcome setbacks and obstacles is to use the creative process that you read about earlier.
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. — Samuel Beckett
You really only fail when you quit. Have you ever failed at something that you didn’t give up on?
Watch this video about a successful professional that overcame many setbacks.
Secret to Success: Famous Failures https://youtu.be/ta-Y76uwjgY
Watch the following video for some sound suggestions of how to prepare yourself for and how to prevent setbacks.
When projects run into setbacks or unexpected obstacles typically you need to review your plan and make adjustments that will help you overcome the setback or obstacle. This may require you to come back to the elements of the triangle below and you will need to decide which element will have to be sacrificed for the sake of the project.
Examples of sacrifices:
- the project is taking too long to complete so more people are hired to help out. (higher costs)
- additional funding to help meet a deadline is not available and when the deadline comes, we have to go with the project as it is, even when it is not at the standard of quality we desired. (lower quality)
- the deadline is extended in order to meet the quality and budget. (slower)
If you can still complete a project even though it didn’t turn out exactly as well as you had desired, is that a failure?
How do you overcome setbacks and obstacles in your projects or in your life in general?
Check out this list of 20 quotes about getting through tough times.
- Tough times never last, but tough people do. — Robert H Schuller
- The difference between stumbling blocks and stepping stones is how you use them. — Unknown
- Never let your head hang down. Never give up and sit down and grieve. Find another way. And don’t pray when it rains if you don’t pray when the sun shines. -Leroy Satchel Paige
- A problem is a chance for you to do your best. — Duke Ellington
- I ask not for a lighter burden, but for broader shoulders. — Jewish Proverb
- If you don’t like something change it; if you can’t change it, change the way you think about it. — Mary Engelbreit
- When things are bad, we take comfort in the thought that they could always get worse. And when they are, we find hope in the thought that things are so bad they have to get better. — Malcolm S Forbes
- Prosperity is a great teacher; adversity is a greater. Possession pampers the mind; privation trains and strengthens it. — William Hazlitt
- Show me someone who has done something worthwhile, and I’ll show you someone who has overcome adversity. — Lou Holtz
- I love those who can smile in trouble, who can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. ’Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but they whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves their conduct, will pursue their principles unto death. — Thomas Paine
- If you aren’t in over your head, how do you know how tall you are? — Unknown
- The friend in my adversity I shall always cherish most. I can better trust those who helped to relieve the gloom of my dark hours than those who are so ready to enjoy with me the sunshine of my prosperity. — Ulysses S. Grant
- The bravest sight in the world is to see a great man struggling against adversity. –Seneca
- Adversity is a fact of life. It can’t be controlled. What we can control is how we react to it. — Unknown
- The true test of a person character is how they stand during test of adversity — Unknown
- The hardest struggle of all is to be something different from what the average man is. — Charles M Schwab
- He knows not his own strength who hath not met adversity. — William Samuel Johnson
- In times of great stress or adversity, it’s always best to keep busy, to plow your anger and your energy into something positive. — Lee Iacocca
- Prosperity makes friends, adversity tries them. — Publilius Syrus
- One who gains strength by overcoming obstacles possesses the only strength which can overcome adversity. — Albert Schweitzer
From http://allswagga.com/blog/2010/09/01/20-quotes-for-getting-through-tough-times/
Here are twenty more powerful quotes that can be inspiring: https://www.notsalmon.com/2015/09/21/inspiring-quotes-for-tough-times/
How can you strengthen your abilities to overcome setbacks and obstacles in your life?
Challenge:
Implement the innovation project that you have been planning. Look for any setbacks and unexpected obstacles and work through them. Be creative in your solutions. Record your progress and experiences and share them with a friend for feedback.
God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the Courage to change the things that I can and the Wisdom to know the difference. — Serenity Prayer
Your journey has molded you for your greater good, and it was exactly what it needed to be. Don’t think that you’ve lost time. It took each and every situation you have encountered to bring you to the now. And now is right on time.
– Asha Tyson
A failure often does not have to be a failure at all. However you have to be ready for it. — Will you admit when things go wrong? Will you take steps to set them right? — Because the difference between triumph & defeat isn’t about willingness to take risks. It’s about mastery of rescue.
– Atul Gawande
