What does author Ryan Holiday mean by “the obstacle is the way”?

How can an obstacle, something that’s standing IN the way of our goal, actually BE the way to reach it?

Because when we look at obstacles from a different perspective, they become opportunities to turn “the impediment to action” into a force that “advances action” (Marcus Aurelius).

Every high-level goal or vision can be broken down into smaller outcomes, then broken down even further into specific obstacles. Those obstacles define the path, showing you exactly where to focus your time and energy.

Picture the vision of “launching a new business.” You could break down that vision into specific outcomes like:

• Defining your unique “why” to help keep you focused and motivated.
• Identifying your ideal customers and how your product will help solve their specific problems.
• Building a product prototype that helps you test different features and capabilities.

So how could you go about achieving each of these outcomes?

Unfortunately, there’s no fool-proof blueprint for building a successful business. There may be a framework to help guide your thinking, but no step-by-step system that will tell you exactly what to do and when to do it.

There are simply too many variables at play. What worked in one specific situation, in one specific context, at one specific moment in time may not work for you.

What you CAN do is reframe each outcome as obstacles that need to be overcome, questions that need to be answered, and problems that need to be solved.

An outcome like “identify our ideal customers” can be reframed as problem statements like:

• We don’t have a clear idea of what types of customers might get the most value from our product.
• We’re not quite sure about which specific challenges we want our product to solve.
• We’re having a hard time spotting a gap in the market.

You might start with as few as three problems statements, or you may have dozens to work through. Whatever the size, that list will help define your path forward. You’ll have a much clearer idea of where to start, and you’ll be able to focus your attention on the right problems at the right time.

The obstacles will become the way.

What will you do today to start using obstacles to build a path to your vision?

Will you stop looking for the “right” answers, and start asking better questions?