Moving Forward, One Hurdle at a Time

In work and in life, most of us are moving towards something. As you read this, you may already be thinking about what that is for you... starting a new job, stepping into a bigger role, learning something new, wanting to feel more confident in meetings and clearer about your boundaries, or something else?

If you picture that as the end of a track, it’s worth noticing where you are right now, not in terms of distance or speed, but simply where you’re standing and what feels present as you look ahead.

Even when the goal feels positive, the journey towards it still has shape, because moving forward brings moments where a familiar pattern, hesitation, or decision starts to show itself; often before we notice how much our thinking and habits are influencing the actions we take.

This is where the idea of hurdles becomes useful.

Rather than obstacles to overcome or problems to fix, hurdles can be thought of as points along the track which invite time and space to consider. Some are practical and easy to move through. Others feel interesting or even enjoyable to explore. Some may feel bigger, asking for reflection rather than action. None of these mean you’re doing anything wrong, they’re simply part of moving forward.

In Your Hurdles & Beyond™, the hurdles sit within a wider journey which also includes how you prepare, how you begin, and how you carry what you learn into day-to-day work. When the focus stays only on the hurdle ahead, it’s easy to miss your broader development happening alongside it; how you’re adapting, learning, and becoming more aware of what works for you.

This approach is much about understanding yourself as it is about achieving what you’re aiming for, and it’s designed to be taken at a pace which suits you, without turning progress into a race.

In executive coaching, we use the five stages of Your Hurdles & Beyond™ to help people make sense of their own track, notice their hurdles, and move forward in a way which feels right for them.