WHEN YOU NEED TO FIGHT:
6 helpful hints for overcoming obstacles… Army Style

There was once a digger called Tommy, who when he first joined the Army was forced to stand toe-to-toe with challenges he would rather have avoided. When he had to stand at attention for three hours during recruit school, his instructor stood one-inch from his face and told him to HARDEN UP!

When he found himself in a cold, muddy foxhole for over a month, his mate next to him told him to HARDEN UP!

And when he got shot in his right leg in Gallipoli, Tommy continued fighting after telling himself to HARDEN UP!

Tommy went on to live to the extraordinary age of 93. While some people may suggest that he was lucky, perhaps it had more to do with his ability to work through adversaries. Can this army style philosophy teach us how to confront challenges and overcome the obstacles that impede our path to success? Here are 6 hints we can all benefit from.

1. Recruit instructors don’t just scream and yell, they motivate

Find people who will motivate you and bring out your better qualities. Seek advice from people who are not afraid to be honest with you, regardless of how you feel at the time. They may offer another perspective that will help you overcome obstacles.

2. Boost yourself over that wall

Books, CDs, tapes and seminars are knowledgeable and easily-accessible resources that recount the successes and failures of other people. Learn from other people’s mistakes and take note of their successes.

Siimon Reynolds, Director of Photon Group, believes that these resources, especially books, will help you get ahead quicker. He says, “Books are very important in getting ahead, otherwise it is going to take you 50 years. Get advice from people at the top, and read what they have written.” Resources such as these will help fill in knowledge gaps and provide another insight into possible problems you are facing.

3. Obstacle courses are one challenge after another

Challenge yourself on a regular basis and ensure that you do not become too comfortable. Keep on pushing the perimeters of your comfort zone in order to surpass your fears, experience growth and achieve success.

As Jeremy Lim, Young Ambassador of the National Kidney Foundation Children’s Medical Fund, says “…a smooth sea never made a skilled mariner.” Jeremy, who suffers from ‘brittle bones’ disease believes “…I can gain strength, courage and confidence if I look fear in the face by doing the thing which I think I cannot.”

4. Make sure your uniform is immaculate

Take pride in your work and remain passionate about what you do. Your positive thinking and belief that you are making a difference will not only help you remain optimistic, but will also consolidate your faith in your ability to overcome challenges.

5. Chow time…eat now, taste later

It is true: there is not enough time in one day. So don’t waste it! Don’t spend your time thinking about how a challenge makes you feel - you can do that later. Use your time wisely and think about how you’re going to overcome the obstacles before you. This will also free up time for other things. Property investor, John Fitzgerald, values time as a means to consider what obstacles may be preventing him from achieving his goals.

6. Look after the person next you

Respect your staff and they’ll respect you. For Suzi Dafnis, founder of Pow Wow Events, managing staff has been her biggest challenge, but she believes in helping them grow and learn. So should you! They will not only be more productive but will help you overcome obstacles.

In Summary

When approached correctly, obstacles can be an opportunity to grow. By arming yourself with the right knowledge and surrounding yourself with the right people, obstacles don’t have to be extremely challenging. However, the more you challenge yourself, the easier overcoming obstacles becomes. You’ll not only gain a sense of pride in your accomplishments but it will also assist in adopting a positive outlook towards future obstacles.

So when faced with obstacles, one should not hesitate but rather approach it with a hard-hitting assault.

* All of the people mentioned in this Feature Article are contributors in the ‘Secrets Exposed’ Series.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 8th, 2006 at 1:02 pm and is filed under Secrets Exposed Series. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.