Step 6: Clearing Hurdles

Art Credits: Sóller, Mallorca, Joaquin Mir Trinxet (Spanish, 1873 – 1940) Artvee.co

Leading with Steady Action in 2025

3 minute read

If this is your first time reading, welcome! This is simply a regular communication from me about a topic that demystifies leadership and personal development. Regular readers, thank you for reading! 

Sometimes I forget what this conversation is really about, so let’s go back to the beginning for a moment.

I want to change the world, and I bet you do, too. When did that start for you?

I remember being about 8 or 9 years old and learning that people were dying from curable diseases and animals were dying from polluted air and water.  I couldn’t imagine how we could let such things happen. I think those early lessons changed the course of my life. From then on, I wanted to do two things: (1) change the world and...(2) continue having fun (that goal wasn’t ever going to change).

I grew up, studied history and then went to work exploring solutions to big societal problems in fields like refugee resettlement, education, and social policy.

Decades went by and then, in my 30s, I realized an unpleasant truth: I wasn’t changing the world, at least not in the way I wanted to. I still had the motivation, but I had run into a serious hurdle. I was stuck in a pattern that I’d describe like this:

1. Find a cool sounding job in a cool sounding organization that does good work

2. Start off with tons of optimism and excitement

3. Quickly figure out the job

4. Get bored

5. Feel stuck

6. See only one way out: finding a new job

7. Back to step 1

When I became aware of this pattern, I could see where it would take me and it wasn’t where I wanted to go. I didn’t know what to do. After lots of soul searching, I decided to invest in my future in a different way. I hired an upbeat, brilliant coach who quickly saw a big part of the problem: I was focused on some of the largest problems in our world (poverty, loneliness, and violence) and it was paralyzing me. With such a broad view, I was struggling to ever feel I had accomplished anything.

(A sense of accomplishment, by the way, is a part of what validates our work and drives us forward. Without it, we feel stuck. When we feel stuck, we lose our sense of self. It’s not to the level of food, water, or shelter, but a small, regular sense of accomplishment is something we need to thrive and I believe we should make choices that support this "need.")

And so what I needed to do--and did--was to break my "goal" down into smaller pieces. I starting by asking myself some questions. First, what exactly did I want to change about the world? Second, how did I want to go about it? Third, how would I measure my success, so I’d know if I was on the right track?

Answering my questions did two things: (1) they released a HUGE amount of pressure I was feeling and (2) revealed a whole new set of possibilities that allowed me to find my way to what I do now.

Now I feel a (usually small, but measurable!) sense of accomplishment nearly every day. It comes from doing what is important to me in small bits: this includes work, but it also includes things like gardening, watching my kids’ soccer games, playing on a soccer team myself, and volunteering in my neighborhood. 

For example, this summer, I really wanted to spend as much time outside as possible. I’ve figured out this little trick where I work for a bit of time and then go outside to weed my grass (for maybe 10 minutes) and then come back in to finish my work. I must look ridiculous to the dog walkers, but pulling weeds is SUCH a rewarding thing to do. You’re outside, you're digging around in the soil, and you’re working with your hands. If you’re someone who needs a little grounding, like me, it’s really, really good for the soul. Not everyone has grass or a yard, but we can generally all choose to take our breaks outside instead of in front of a screen.

Back to today’s topic, though. It’s about hurdles, the ones that keep us from doing things we truly care about. The hurdles I want to talk about are the ones that are in our minds (and, if you’re into somatics, also in our bodies). They are the thoughts and stories we say to ourselves when something feels hard or boring. Thoughts that take your attention away from what you care about (“I have too much going on.” “I should be doing something else.” “Is this a waste of time?”)

Want a solution? Try taking them out of your mind and putting them in the real world.

How do you take them out of your mind? Here are three ways that work well for people:

1. Write the thoughts down so you can see and study them. Really study and work on them.

2. Say the thoughts out loud to someone you trust. Let them respond. Let your ego be bruised. Let the conversation show you how you might edit that thought.

3. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Repetition is what leads to sustainable change. Practice getting those thoughts out of your mind and see what changes.

Want more structure? Try This 

Using a paper or this digital worksheet, follow the process below to start clearing your hurdles. 

1. Recall your development project.

2. Describe your hurdle(s).

3. What do your hurdles tell you about the deeper purpose underlying your project/life?

4. State your purpose.

5. Describe the vision that comes from the purpose you named.

6. Turn it into a goal for 2025.

7. List your new, clarified hurdles.

8. Name your solutions.

9. Choose your next action.

Give this a try and see if it helps you clear some of the hurdles you've been struggling with. Whether it works or not, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Drop me a note: lindsay@lindsayread.com. 

If you’re looking for something different (personalized attention, a group workshop, etc.), I’d love to hear from you.

A leadership tip

Go a little easier on yourself. Maybe adjust those daily hurdles so they're a little easier to clear. I think the story of Roald Amundsen & his team's trip to the South Pole is incredibly inspiring. They moved a relatively short distance each day no matter the weather. It allowed them to plan wisely, preserve energy, and stay alive. Maybe the work you're doing isn't quite as high stakes, but you probably do want to make it sustainable. How can you design your work in such a way that you want to return to it tomorrow?

My services

My services

- 1:1 Developmental Coaching for executives, emerging leaders, and professionals.

- Group sessions on team/relationship building, effective meetings, and coaching skills.

- Design and delivery of leadership development programs.

Want to learn more? Email lindsay@lindsayread.comor visit lindsayread.com 

Thank you for reading!

Next month's topic is "designing simple experiments to make progress on your goals."

Lindsay Read Coaching, LLC

Leadership Development

Coaching | Teaching | Facilitation

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