Coaching practices for Values vs Obstacles
Describe almost anything you are working through and IX Coach finds the practices whose real-world fit is closest. For Values vs Obstacles, these are the strongest matches in the current practice library.
Does this sound like the set of challenges you might be facing?
- Whenever I think about why I never get there, I reach for no time, no money, other people
- I always blame the lack of time or the circumstances, but honestly something in me keeps stopping me
- I get genuinely fired up about a goal and then keep falling at the exact same internal hurdle
- Something blew up my plans and I’ve just been stewing in how unfair it is
- The moment something goes wrong my head goes straight to "this is a disaster, it’s ruined"
Practices that may help
- Identify the main internal obstacle that stands between you and the wish
Ask honestly: what is the primary thing in me — not outside me — that is most likely to block this wish?
Mental Contrasting and WOOP - Obstacle — find the inner obstacle in your way
Identify the personal, internal block that actually stops you — a habit, feeling, or thought.
WOOP: Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan - Map the obstacles: WOOP your life-crafting goals
For each goal, identify the most likely internal obstacle and plan your response before you need it.
The Life Crafting Intervention: Scripting Your Future Self - 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. - 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 - Distinguish true anti-goals from solvable constraints
Some "I won’t accept" conditions are actually design problems — not genuine anti-goals — and can be solved rather than ruled out.
Anti-Goals: Defining Success by What You Refuse to Accept - 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 - Build genuine commitment before the work begins
Goal commitment is the moderator — without it, a hard goal backfires.
Goal Setting Theory, Made Practical - Track performance goals against your own baseline, not others
Measure your progress against your personal standard, not against the competitor or the leaderboard.
Process vs. Outcome Goals in Sport and Performance
Related concerns
- Inner Obstacle
Ask honestly: what is the primary thing in me — not outside me — that is most likely to block this wish?
Identify the main internal obstacle that stands between you and the wish
- The Obstacle Is The Way In Practice At Work
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 During A Big Change
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 For My Teenager
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 On A Budget
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 When Starting Out
Ask what this obstacle makes possible that nothing else would — the way through is often in it.
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