Coaching practices for Turn Obstacles Into Advantage
Describe almost anything you are working through and IX Coach finds the practices whose real-world fit is closest. For Turn Obstacles Into Advantage, these are the strongest matches in the current practice library.
Does this sound like the set of challenges you might be facing?
- Something blew up my plans and I’ve just been stewing in how unfair it is
- Every time something goes wrong it knocks me flat, even though in hindsight it was completely predictable
- I keep grinding to engineer the perfect outcome and getting nowhere, and it just occurred to me I’ve never once flipped it around and asked what would absolutely guarantee this blows up
- The moment something goes wrong my head goes straight to "this is a disaster, it’s ruined"
- I know exactly what trips me up, but in the heat of the moment I freeze and fall back into the same pattern because I haven’t decided ahead of time what to do instead
Practices that may help
- Find the advantage inside the obstacle
Ask what this obstacle makes possible that nothing else would — the way through is often in it.
The Obstacle Is the Way, in Practice - The Obstacle Is the Way, in Practice
Ryan Holiday repackages Stoicism into a three-part discipline for turning obstacles into advantage: control your perception of the problem, take deliberate action on it, and use your will to endure what you can’t change. The practices are modern framings of ancient Stoic moves, so their strongest support is the same — the lineage into cognitive reappraisal and the studied benefits of reframing and action. - Anticipate the obstacle before it arrives
Rehearse what could go wrong so the setback finds you prepared, not ambushed.
The Obstacle Is the Way, in Practice - Use inversion as the first model in every problem
Before solving a problem, ask what would guarantee failure — then avoid those things.
Mental Models: Charlie Munger’s Latticework Approach - Control your perception of the obstacle
The obstacle isn’t the problem — your interpretation of it is the first thing you can change.
The Obstacle Is the Way, in Practice - Plan — make an if-then plan for the obstacle
Pre-decide your response: "If [obstacle], then I will [effective action]."
WOOP: Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan - Optimize for avoiding stupidity, not brilliance
Munger: "It is remarkable how much long-term advantage people like us have gotten by trying to be consistently not stupid."
Inversion: Solve Problems Backward - Treat each obstacle as an opportunity for the discipline of action
When something blocks your intended action, ask what virtuous response the obstacle itself calls for.
The Stoic Discipline of Action - Use anti-goals as a decision filter before evaluating opportunities
Run every major opportunity through your anti-goals list before calculating the upside.
Anti-Goals: Defining Success by What You Refuse to Accept - Take deliberate, persistent action
Perception sets you up; action moves you through — start where you are, with what you have.
The Obstacle Is the Way, in Practice
Related concerns
- How To Apply The Obstacle Is The Way
Ryan Holiday repackages Stoicism into a three-part discipline for turning obstacles into advantage: control your perception of the problem, take deliberate action on it, and use your will to endure what you can’t change. The practices are modern framings of ancient Stoic moves, so their strongest support is the same — the lineage into cognitive reappraisal and the studied benefits of reframing and action.
- Ryan Holiday Obstacle Method
Ryan Holiday repackages Stoicism into a three-part discipline for turning obstacles into advantage: control your perception of the problem, take deliberate action on it, and use your will to endure what you can’t change. The practices are modern framings of ancient Stoic moves, so their strongest support is the same — the lineage into cognitive reappraisal and the studied benefits of reframing and action.
- The Obstacle Is The Way In Practice Under Stress
Ask what this obstacle makes possible that nothing else would — the way through is often in it.
Find the advantage inside the obstacle
- The Obstacle Is The Way In Practice When Starting Out
Ask what this obstacle makes possible that nothing else would — the way through is often in it.
- The Obstacle Is The Way Practice
Ryan Holiday repackages Stoicism into a three-part discipline for turning obstacles into advantage: control your perception of the problem, take deliberate action on it, and use your will to endure what you can’t change. The practices are modern framings of ancient Stoic moves, so their strongest support is the same — the lineage into cognitive reappraisal and the studied benefits of reframing and action.
- Treating Obstacles As Opportunities
Ask what this obstacle makes possible that nothing else would — the way through is often in it.
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