Are STOPPING POINTS Thwarting Your Efforts?
Have you ever experienced them? Stopping Points...those unexpected moments that stop you in your tracks. They can occur anytime, anywhere. And they put up a roadblock, barrier, or obstacle (or whatever you want to call it) that keeps you from accomplishing your intended objective.
But here's the thing...sometimes you recognize them for what they are; and other times you don't. When you recognize them, and label them, you can do something about them. If you don't identify them, you'll continue limping along with the same familiar struggles until...you can't stand it any longer. At that moment, you'll KNOW; you must acknowledge the stopping points and remove them.
Over the years, I've become pretty good at recognizing my stopping points. Removing them, of course, can be more challenging.
Regardless of your profession, gender, or age, you can experience stopping points that block you from attaining an important goal or outcome. Let me give you some examples in various settings.
Stopping Points in Business
Whether you're a business owner, nonprofit leader, or you work in a corporate setting, your organization needs revenue to sustain its operation. I've seen many agonize over generating revenue. Some get stuck fretting and worrying about it. When you're fretting and worrying, you can't look at the situation to uncover the REAL crux of the problem. The real crux of the problem is generally the stopping point. You must backtrack your way to the stopping point to remove it.
Stopping Points in Life
It seems that happiness and satisfaction in life is a perpetual pursuit for all. Yet, life is unpredictable. The washer quits working. Your job is eliminated. A flood, fire, hurricane, or tornado hits. Health emergencies arise. How you respond to unexpected stopping points in life will determine what happens next.
Yes, all these circumstances create emotional and physical reactions within you. How you manage those responses either help you move forward or keep you stuck in the moment. Resolving the challenge in front of you will determine the long-term impact on your future happiness and satisfaction.
Stopping Points in Leadership
Leading others is no small feat. You must interact and collaborate with many different groups and individuals, each with their own ideas and opinions, about the projects and priorities at hand. You may find yourself struggling to keep everyone happy.
Leadership requires an array of skill sets to be effective. It's very likely your stopping point around making a positive, long-lasting impact in your leadership role is related to one or more of those skills sets.
You may need better communication skills. You might find yourself unable to delegate or make decisions. You could be struggling with strategic planning or conflict resolution. Again, the list of leadership skills and capabilities is long.
Pinpoint the crux of your immediate challenge and you'll be able to find the resolution to it. Apply the fix and the stopping point will cease to exist.
Stopping points don't just go away. Yes, you can ignore them. But if you really want to elevate your path to success, address them. Remove them. And you'll be amazed at how much easier it is to navigate your way to success in business, life, and leadership.
