What obstacle keeps you from making progress the most?
This topic contains 16 replies, has 6 voices, and was last updated by 
Bruce Hoag 6 years, 9 months ago.
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I’m curious to know, what is the single biggest obstacle you face that keeps you from making progress?
I don’t know about you, but in my case it seems like it’s the same things that get in the way.
In Gary Keller’s and Jay Papasan’s book, The One Thing, they ask this question: “What is the one thing such that by doing it everything else becomes easier or unnecessary?”
This is a hard question. You have to think about the answer. And if you can identify it, then you can focus on solving it or at least bringing it under control.
For me, the single biggest obstacle is getting to bed on time the night before.
Case in point: I got back from church early enough to go to bed during my best window of 9-9:30 pm.
Unfortunately, the phone had to be charged. Even though I put it on airplane-mode during night, I knew that 28% probably wouldn’t last eight hours.
That meant staying up later to get it to charge.
I can’t plug it in and then to bed, because the only free socket is on the other side of the room.
And so tomorrow morning has already been sabotaged because of something that was outside of my control.
So what gets in the way of progress for you?
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy
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I think the biggest thing that stops me from making progress it wanting it perfect, but I am working on that and have put out things that I would previously not done so. So really the obstacle is my own belief in ‘is it good enough” but now that I am in ecommerce I am finding it a lot easier and my progress is definitely moving forward at a better rate 🙂
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We perfectionists are our own worst enemies, Tina.
Rest assured: If our customers don’t think that our products are up to scratch, then they’ll tell us.
I’ve been amazed at the kudos I’ve received from writing, for example, that I didn’t think was perfect.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy
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You opened a whole can of worms with the idea of charging your phone. It was reading an article about an experiment some school children did that led me to question the wisdom of having a phone next to my bed. It is not just the whistle that made when some starts a periscope broadcast that is the issue. The article suggested that if cress would not grow in an environment where the only difference was the presence of a mobile phone then what impact is the phone having on us. I do have a phone beside the bed but it online needs to be plugged into a landline and not an electric socket. Yes, I do seem to sleep better if my mobile is charging in another room overnight.
That leads me to issue number 2 the stories of fires have been started by leaving chargers plugged into a socket without a fire attached or when a phone is left attached to a charger after being fully charged. Yes, realistic possibilities but how far do you go to reduce that kind of risk.
After seeing people who got themselves tied up in knots because of fear I am frightened of being too frightened, if that makes sense. Have you ever met a deacon who could not be allowed to be the last person to leave the church building because of their fear? They could spend up to 2 hours checking if all the lights were off and all the doors closed etc before they locked the outside door and walked away. The only way to make sure they eventually got home was for someone to tactfully support them as they locked up.
God's Lily is "a voice for those frustrated by the slow progress towards a fair society where the needs of the weakest are met in a way that it strengthens them rather than weakens them further" . If that includes you then hop on over and have a look around. If you like what you see it would be a good idea to sign up to receive our blog broadcasts. Oh and you will get a couple of pdf files that explain the what and why behind the site when
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I’ve never met anyone like that, but I think they made a show about it in the States some years ago.
Oddly enough, it was called Monk.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
I missed what you said in your comment, Susan, about the noise that Periscope makes.
It made me realize that I’d forgotten to mention something important.
When I go to bed, I put the phone on Airplane Mode. I’m using it for a clock at night. Nothing else.
Actually, it was Sean who told me that falling asleep at my desk in the afternoon wasn’t normal. (Duh!)
I was waking up after 6 1/2 hours and then getting up, figuring that being a little older that that’s just the way it was.
Setting the alarm is not so that it will wake me up so much as it is to make me stay there for eight hours.
I use Airplane Mode so that I don’t get a Facebook message during the night.
If you put your phone on Airplane Mode, then you won’t hear anything you don’t want to.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy
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Bruce
here’s a thought question for you:
what would happen if you were to amend the One Thing question from this:
What is the one thing such that by doing it everything else becomes easier or unnecessary?”
To this:
What is the next thing such that by doing it everything else becomes easier or unnecessary?”
or:
What is the next logical thing that I should do such that by doing it I move closer to my goal (s)”
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Sean
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Good point, Sean. I’ll do that.
In one of my emails, I ask the opposite: “What is the one thing such that by doing it everything becomes harder or necessary?”
That question points directly to our propensity to make things more complicated than they need to be.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy
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My struggle today is getting started. I find it relatively easy to get stuck into things when I get up so tend to use that time for the harder tasks or the things I need to do that I have been putting off. One of the things I have been putting off was sorting out the back bedroom enough so that I could close the door. I had put so many things to stow away in there then not got around to spending some time sorting them out that they were overflowing into the hall. I got that done this morning. I had left it so long it took me an hour or two just to catch up on that task. By the time I had done that I had lost my momentum for getting stuff done on the computer. Rather than do nothing I pottered about doing other things around the house that were useful but not very productive in terms of earning money. The house is a lot tidier and the washing and ironing are done. OK it does reduce the brain chatter of you should do this that or the other rather than working on the business and in that sense it will make it easier to do things in the next few days but today is a lost day.
It is the balance of doing something then feeling guilty for not doing something else which I find hard. I cannot do both of them at once so they have to take turns. Maybe that is why I don’t take many breaks. I have a television but I rarely if ever watch it. I am always pottering on around the house or on the computer. Ask me to go out and relax and the first thing that comes to mind is to go shopping which I do every 4 weeks. I have had to develop a feast and famine routine with that to protect my budget. There again if it was every week it would not be long before I needed a bigger house.
God's Lily is "a voice for those frustrated by the slow progress towards a fair society where the needs of the weakest are met in a way that it strengthens them rather than weakens them further" . If that includes you then hop on over and have a look around. If you like what you see it would be a good idea to sign up to receive our blog broadcasts. Oh and you will get a couple of pdf files that explain the what and why behind the site when
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I know about just the sort of thing you described, Susan.
And for some of us, we can’t concentrate if there’s too much chaos around us.
That said, pottering around the house is simply another name for being distracted.
That may be a good argument for going to a coffee shop or a library to work for a couple of hours. The distractions are less.
It’s also why it’s a good idea to go away for your holidays.
When you stay home, you don’t rest. Instead you notice all the things that you think you should do.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
No point in going to a coffee shop as I don’t drink coffee. There again I don’t find it easy to go out anywhere to eat or drink because there are so many things that have been known to upset my digestion.
Thank God you have never come across fear like that Bruce. I lived with a victim of obsessive compulsive disorder for 26 years. It was a mercy when they gave me the order of the boot. It is important you get somewhere on time and they have promised you a lift but then they get stuck washing their hands for 30 minutes or more. That is on a not so bad day. Once when they could not stop washing for 8 hours I called the doctor in desperation and it shamed them into stopping. I know what it is like to live through a nightmare and not have people around who can offer support that does good rather than harm. That is why the site header I have repeated in my signature makes so much sense to me. I have been weak and others have tried to help but weakened me further rather than strengthening me.
I did eventually settle down to get something done and I did a fair bit eventually. However did not get a second wind until about 5pm and had to quite disciplined to make myself stop at around 11 pm to get some sleep.
God's Lily is "a voice for those frustrated by the slow progress towards a fair society where the needs of the weakest are met in a way that it strengthens them rather than weakens them further" . If that includes you then hop on over and have a look around. If you like what you see it would be a good idea to sign up to receive our blog broadcasts. Oh and you will get a couple of pdf files that explain the what and why behind the site when
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Hi Susan,
My heart goes out to you.
And you’re right: I’ve never had OCD.
But I did have a breakdown almost 12 years ago. Couldn’t get out of bed until 3.30 pm. As the meds took hold, it became noon; the mid-morning, and eventually 6 am, but not without a 90-minute paralytic nap at 9 am.
With that came a certain amount of anxiety.
I was also living in Italy, and I didn’t speak Italian.
About a year ago, I was able to come off of the meds altogether. It was a miracle, a term that I rarely use.
So I know something of what it is to be debilitated.
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If the smell of coffee bothers you, then of course you shouldn’t go; but these places serve other things – tea, for instance. Like you, I live in the UK, and tea is practically a separate food group. LOL
I think they have herbal teas as well, which taste a lot better with a little sweetener added.
In any case, going to places like this, for me and others, can help you to work. And that’s the goal.
To get away from the distractions at home so you can concentrate on your work.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy
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Far and away, it’s checking my stinkin’ email. I’m not a big social media guy, but admittedly, I spend way too much time with email, looking to see what’s there and deleting what’s cluttering my inbox.
And when I’m checking my email, what happens? Yep. I see this offer, then that offer, and wait. What’s this?
Oh, yeah. Something else I don’t really need.
As I’ve indicated in previous posts, I’m getting better. I don’t buy nearly as much as I used to, but I’m still wrapped up in the “fascination” of email. Truth be told, I use a lot of surfing as research now. I like to see how fellow IMers are structuring their offers. A few years ago, surfing would not be to check on competitors, but rather to buy, with a capital “B.”
I’m committed to using my free time to my business. I’m getting there.
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If you’re using Outlook or something like it, then LOG OUT.
If you’re using Gmail or other online clients, then use one of the programs that lets you block certain websites for a period of time.
There’s even one site you can go to where you choose a charity for a cause that you hate, and every time you give into your temptation, you have to donate to it. LOL
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy
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I solved this problem by buying another cable and a charger to go in the car.
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy -
They say you teach what you most need to learn.
I wrote a blog post on a topic that has come up several times over the past weeks with a couple I am working with.
Thought it might be fitting under this thread.
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A singer and an actor. How interesting.
What were you in?
Bruce Hoag PhD
The Internet Marketing Psychologist
The Mindful Writer - for deep and persuasive copy
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