Success requires many skills.
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I attended the You: Mission Critical Conference at NASA this week. I learned a lot. One statement that stuck with me was – What is in the way is the way.

On the surface that sounds contradictory. Several examples were given to support this statement. Then, I noticed almost every speaker had variations along this same theme. They had a problem, and the problem was them. We get in our own way.  Our mindset prevented us from succeeding.

I wrote a review recently on the biography of Carli Lloyd – a superstar in women’s soccer. I don’t know anything about soccer – women’s or men’s. I read a lot of biographies to understand how the greats became great. Carli’s biggest obstacle was her mindset. Every time it was aligned with her goals, her performance exploded on the field. When doubt set in, her execution was flawed.

We all have our ups and downs. Life happens. Nonetheless, it’s not what happens to you, but how you let it affect you. You probably know someone who was hurt by someone years ago – happens a lot in families. It is impossible for that person to let that old grievance go. Hanging on to it impairs our lives.

Stress happens in many ways. We must not keep it in the back of our brain for the rest of our lives. When faced with a challenge, it might be that you are not as prepared as you need to be to blast your way through. Maybe your skill set is not updated. It’s hard to tell when you are part of the problem.

Our perspectives and belief systems are based on our history.  Our subconscious mind wants to protect us from failure and does a very good job of it. Yet, a false belief is a major obstacle to success. We stop a yard short of that goal line and don’t know that a little extra effort, or a modification if our belief system, was all that was needed. Persistence, tenacity, determination and a dozen other adjectives are used in the historical accounts of those who succeeded.

Is there enough priority given to your goal? Is it stated properly for your subconscious mind to attack it on the right level? There are ways to get around those obstacles in front of you when you are part of the problem. Is your belief system valid when assessing your problem?

Ask for help when appropriate. What is in the way is the way to victory.

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