Every journey toward a goal is bound to encounter breakdowns—those moments when things don’t go as planned, and progress seems to stall. In these moments, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by what’s going wrong. Our natural inclination is to focus on the obstacles in front of us, allowing frustration and doubt to overshadow the progress we’ve made. However, step three in transforming breakdowns into breakthroughs is a critical pivot: Identifying What Worked. This step encourages reflection and introspection, allowing us to leverage our past successes as we navigate through current challenges.
When a breakdown occurs, rather than getting stuck in what’s not working, it’s essential to take a moment to pause, reflect, and ask yourself: What has propelled me forward up until now? This isn’t just an exercise in positive thinking. It’s a strategic move to uncover potential solutions for the hurdles at hand by recognising the strategies and actions that have borne fruit along the way.
Highlighting Effective Measure
In times of difficulty, it’s important to cast a reflective glance over your journey. Consider the milestones you’ve passed, the goals you’ve achieved, and the actions or strategies that have contributed, even in the smallest way, to your progress. These elements can serve as beacons, guiding you through the fog of your current challenge.
By identifying these successful strategies, you gain more than just a sense of accomplishment. You gain a toolkit—an arsenal of tried-and-true methods that you can apply to overcome new obstacles. Perhaps a particular approach worked when you faced a previous setback, or maybe a shift in mindset helped you find clarity in a past dilemma. Whatever the case may be, these small victories provide valuable insights for tackling today’s challenges.
Capitalising on What Works
Once you’ve identified what has worked for you, the next step is to capitalise on it. Start by cataloguing your successes. What actions or strategies have yielded positive results in the past? Was it a decision to delegate tasks, a shift in how you managed your time, or a change in communication that helped you overcome a hurdle?
After you’ve catalogued these actions, go deeper: Decipher the Success Code. Ask yourself, Why did this strategy work? Was it the timing, the way you allocated your resources, or perhaps the collaborative effort of your team? Understanding the reasons behind your successes is as important as the success itself because it allows you to replicate the results in new situations. For example, if delegating tasks to others helped you in a past project, consider whether delegation might again be the key to overcoming your current challenge.
Finally, with these insights in hand, strategically apply what you’ve learned to the present scenario. Often, the key to unlocking the solution lies in amplifying what has been working and minimising the ineffective. By building on your previous successes, you create a clear path to move forward.
A Personal Example: Reflecting on a Journey
To illustrate this, I’ll reflect on a recent experience during my journey back from Congleton. What started as a smooth trip quickly became challenging when unexpected delays cropped up. In the midst of this disruption, I took a moment to pause and reflect on the first leg of my trip, which had unfolded exactly as I had envisioned.
This reflection wasn’t just a brief interlude—it was a deliberate effort to recognise the aspects of my planning that had worked in my favour. I had meticulously crafted my day with built-in buffers for unforeseen events. This strategy paid off when I found myself with enough spare time to enjoy a cup of coffee and a snack. This wasn’t merely a break—it was a mini-reward, a testament to the effectiveness of my planning. Furthermore, the adaptive navigation system I relied on played a crucial role, intelligently recalibrating my route to account for traffic conditions.
This moment of introspection highlighted the strengths of my planning and execution. I had not cornered myself with back-to-back commitments that left no room for delays. Instead, I had woven flexibility into my schedule, acknowledging that the unpredictable nature of travel demanded such an approach.
By recognising these victories, no matter how small, I reinforced my confidence in my ability to adapt and overcome. It wasn’t about dwelling on what went wrong but about recognising what had worked up until that point and building upon it. This reflection served as a beacon, illuminating the skills and strategies that had already served me well and could be leaned on as I navigated the challenges ahead.
The Strategic Pivot: Leveraging Past Successes
The importance of reflecting on what worked cannot be overstated. This third step is more than just a pat on the back for what you’ve achieved—it’s a strategic pivot that leverages your past successes to illuminate the path forward. By recognising what has worked, you’re not only affirming your progress but also equipping yourself with a toolkit of proven strategies ready to be deployed against the present breakdown.
This step also serves as a reminder that within the narrative of your journey, the solutions to today’s challenges may already lie in the chapters of your past successes. The answers are often right in front of us; we simply need to pause, reflect, and recognise them. What’s important is not just planning for the journey, but also recognising the value of the journey itself. Each step you’ve taken has led you here, and within those steps are the strategies that will help you move forward.
In my upcoming book, “Winning the Game”, I explore the process of identifying what works and how to apply it in various areas of life and business in more detail.
Turning Today’s Obstacles into Tomorrow’s Triumphs
When something goes wrong in your journey toward a goal, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the breakdown. But by taking the time to reflect on what’s worked in the past, you give yourself a powerful tool to move forward. Recognising your successes doesn’t just lift your spirits—it provides the strategic insights you need to overcome your current challenges.
So, take a moment to pause and reflect on your journey. What strategies have helped you succeed in the past? How can you apply them now? By harnessing the power of reflection, you can transform today’s obstacles into tomorrow’s triumphs, turning breakdowns into breakthroughs and inching ever closer to your ultimate goal.