Real-life examples of overcoming obstacles in goal setting examples

Everyday examples of overcoming obstacles in goal setting examples

Let’s start where most advice skips: with real people and real messiness. These examples of overcoming obstacles in goal setting examples are not fairy tales where someone wakes up “motivated.” They’re about friction, adjustments, and small wins.

Take Maya, a 34‑year‑old project manager who wanted to run a 5K. Her obstacle wasn’t laziness; it was exhaustion. She worked long hours and had two kids under eight. Every time she set a running goal, she’d last three days and then crash.

Her turning point came when she started journaling about her evenings. She noticed a pattern: she always tried to run after 8 p.m., when she was wiped out. The obstacle wasn’t willpower; it was timing. She shifted her goal from “run 30 minutes after work” to “walk 15 minutes at lunch, three days a week.” That small change helped her stay consistent long enough to build up to running.

This is one of the best examples of how journaling turns obstacles into information instead of self‑blame.

Hitting a wall? Examples include time, energy, and motivation blocks

When people ask for examples of overcoming obstacles in goal setting examples, they’re usually battling one of three things: no time, no energy, or no motivation. Let’s look at how those actually show up.

Example of a time obstacle: The overbooked student

Jordan, a college sophomore, set a goal to study Spanish for an hour a day. It lasted four days. Between classes, a part‑time job, and social life, an extra hour wasn’t realistic.

In his journal, he answered this prompt:

“If I had to shrink this goal to something I could do on my worst day, what would it look like?”

His answer: 10 minutes of vocabulary review while eating breakfast.

He changed the goal to: “Study Spanish for 10 minutes every weekday.” That tiny shift turned a failing goal into a sustainable habit. Research on habit formation backs this up: small, consistent actions are more effective than big, inconsistent ones. You can see this idea echoed in behavioral science work from places like Harvard on habits and well‑being.

This is a clear example of overcoming a time obstacle by shrinking the goal to fit reality.

Example of an energy obstacle: The burned‑out nurse

Lena, a night‑shift nurse, wanted to “get in shape” and set a goal to go to the gym five days a week. After two weeks, she was sore, sleep‑deprived, and discouraged.

Her journaling prompt was:

“What is my body trying to tell me about this goal?”

Her answer: “I’m exhausted. I need sleep more than squats.”

She reframed her primary goal to: “Protect 7 hours of sleep on work nights,” and her movement goal became: “Do a 10‑minute stretch routine after waking up.”

That shift matched what health organizations like the NIH say about sleep being foundational for health and performance. Over a few months, her energy improved, and only then did she add short strength workouts.

This is one of the best examples of overcoming an obstacle by changing the sequence of goals instead of forcing everything at once.

Example of a motivation obstacle: The stalled writer

Sam wanted to write a book. His goal: “Write 1,000 words every day.” For three days, he crushed it. Then he skipped a day, felt guilty, and didn’t write for three weeks.

During a journaling session, he answered:

“What story do I tell myself when I miss a day?”

His answer: “If I miss one day, I’ve failed.”

He changed his rule to: “Write 200 words, three days a week. Missing a day means I pick it up tomorrow, not that I failed.”

This small mindset adjustment turned a perfectionist trap into a flexible system. It’s a classic example of overcoming obstacles in goal setting where the real obstacle is all‑or‑nothing thinking.

Real examples of overcoming obstacles in long‑term goals

Short‑term goals are one thing. Long‑term goals—career changes, degrees, big financial shifts—come with a different kind of resistance.

Career change example: From retail to tech

Alicia worked retail for a decade and decided in 2023 she wanted to transition into UX design by 2025. Her obstacles:

• She couldn’t afford to quit her job.
• She felt “too old” to start over at 32.
• She was overwhelmed by how much there was to learn.

Her journaling prompt:

“If I break this goal into four 6‑month chapters, what would success look like in each chapter?”

Her chapters ended up like this (in her own words):

• Chapter 1: Finish an online intro course and build one sample project.
• Chapter 2: Add two more projects and ask for feedback from online communities.
• Chapter 3: Build a portfolio website and do mock interviews.
• Chapter 4: Apply to 5–10 junior roles per month.

She studied 30–45 minutes a day using free and low‑cost resources from places like Coursera and edX, which partner with universities such as Harvard and MIT. Two years later, she landed a junior UX role.

This is a real example of overcoming obstacles in goal setting examples by turning an overwhelming dream into chapters with clear, journaled milestones.

Financial goal example: Paying off debt while on a tight budget

Chris had $18,000 in credit card debt. His original goal: “Be debt‑free in a year.” Then inflation hit, rent went up, and that timeline became unrealistic.

His journaling prompt:

“What part of this goal is in my control, even when the economy isn’t?”

He focused on:

• Tracking every expense for 30 days.
• Cutting three recurring costs he barely used.
• Setting a range for monthly debt payments instead of a fixed number.

The new goal: “Pay \(300–\)500 toward debt each month, track spending weekly, and review progress monthly.”

This range gave him flexibility when surprise expenses popped up. It’s one of the best examples of overcoming financial obstacles by designing a goal that bends instead of breaks.

Organizations like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and USA.gov also encourage realistic repayment plans tailored to income and cost of living—exactly what Chris created.

Health and wellness: examples of overcoming obstacles in goal setting examples

Health goals are where people feel the most shame, and where examples of overcoming obstacles in goal setting examples can be the most healing.

Example: Rebuilding health after burnout

Priya, a 29‑year‑old software engineer, hit full burnout in 2024. Her doctor recommended stress reduction, more movement, and better sleep. That sounded like three full‑time jobs.

Her journaling prompt:

“If my goal was to feel 10% better next month, what would I change first?”

She picked three small, trackable actions:

• Walk 5 minutes after lunch on workdays.
• Turn off screens 30 minutes before bed.
• Schedule one social activity a week that wasn’t work‑related.

This mirrors advice from sources like the Mayo Clinic, which emphasize small, sustainable changes over drastic overhauls.

Her obstacle wasn’t knowledge; it was overwhelm. By lowering the bar, she finally started moving. Over six months, she increased walks to 20 minutes, added light strength training, and noticed real gains in energy.

Example: Managing a condition while chasing fitness goals

Diego lives with type 2 diabetes and wanted to run a 10K. His fear: pushing too hard and harming his health.

His journaling prompt before training:

“What does a safe version of this goal look like for my body?”

With his healthcare provider, he:

• Set gradual mileage increases.
• Tracked blood sugar before and after workouts.
• Adjusted his nutrition plan for training days.

This approach lines up with guidance from the CDC on physical activity for people with diabetes.

His obstacle—fear of doing damage—was real and valid. He didn’t bulldoze through it; he designed a safer, informed version of the goal.

These are strong examples of overcoming obstacles in goal setting by working with your body instead of against it.

Turning obstacles into prompts: journaling your way through

Now let’s connect these stories to your notebook. When you look at examples of overcoming obstacles in goal setting examples, there’s a pattern: people stop treating obstacles as verdicts and start treating them as feedback.

Here are journaling prompts you can use when you feel stuck:

• “What exactly happened the last three times I didn’t follow through?”
• “If I assume I’m not the problem, what might be wrong with the goal design?”
• “On a scale of 1–10, how realistic does this goal feel for the next 30 days?”
• “What would this goal look like if it were 50% smaller?”
• “What support, tools, or boundaries would make this goal easier?”

As you answer, look for patterns, the way the people in these real examples did:

• Maybe time is your recurring obstacle.
• Maybe your goals are too vague.
• Maybe you’re trying to fix five areas of life at once.

Once you spot the pattern, you can rewrite the goal. That’s the heart of all these examples of overcoming obstacles in goal setting: the goal changes shape instead of you just trying harder.

Modern obstacles: 2024–2025 trends that affect your goals

Your goals don’t live in a vacuum. The last few years have brought new kinds of obstacles that show up over and over in people’s journals.

Digital distraction and information overload

Between remote work, social media, and constant notifications, attention is under pressure. Many people set reading, learning, or deep‑work goals and then feel defeated when they can’t focus for more than 10 minutes.

A modern example of overcoming obstacles in goal setting here might look like:

• Using app timers or website blockers during a 25‑minute focus session.
• Moving your phone to another room during journaling or study time.
• Setting a goal like: “Check social media only at 12 p.m. and 7 p.m.”

Instead of blaming yourself for “no discipline,” you treat distraction as an environmental obstacle and adjust the conditions.

Economic uncertainty and shifting priorities

Rising costs, job changes, and remote‑work shifts have made many 5‑year plans feel outdated. People who planned big travel, home buying, or career moves are revising timelines.

A realistic example of adapting here:

• Changing “Buy a house in 2 years” to “Increase savings rate by 3–5% this year and reassess housing options annually.”

You’re not giving up on the dream; you’re adjusting the path in response to real‑world data, just like Chris did with his debt goal.

Mental health awareness and kinder goal setting

Awareness of anxiety, depression, ADHD, and burnout has grown. That means more people are realizing their past “failures” at goals were often unrecognized mental health challenges.

A modern example of overcoming obstacles in goal setting examples here:

• Someone with ADHD shifting from long, unstructured work blocks to short, timed sprints with clear rewards.
• Someone dealing with depression setting “get out of bed, shower, and sit by a window for 5 minutes” as a valid daily win.

Organizations like the National Institute of Mental Health highlight how mental health conditions affect energy, focus, and motivation. Your goals should reflect that reality, not ignore it.

FAQ: examples of overcoming obstacles in goal setting examples

Q: What are some simple examples of overcoming obstacles in goal setting for beginners?
If you’re just starting, simple examples include shrinking the goal (from 60 minutes to 10 minutes), changing the time of day (from late night to lunch break), or reducing the frequency (from daily to 3 times a week). For instance, instead of “meditate 20 minutes every day,” you try “sit quietly and breathe for 3 minutes after breakfast on weekdays.”

Q: Can you give an example of using journaling to overcome a setback?
Yes. Imagine you planned to work out four times a week and managed only once. Instead of quitting, you journal: “What got in the way each day?” Maybe two days were late meetings and one was pure exhaustion. You adjust the goal to “3 shorter workouts, scheduled before 5 p.m.,” and you write a backup plan like “10‑minute home routine if I miss the gym.” That’s a concrete example of turning a setback into an adjusted plan.

Q: How do I know if my obstacle means I should quit the goal entirely?
Look at your journal over a few weeks. If you consistently feel dread, no sense of meaning, and no alignment with your values, that might be a sign to retire or replace the goal. Many real examples of overcoming obstacles in goal setting involve letting go of goals that belonged to someone else’s expectations—family, culture, or social media—and choosing ones that actually matter to you.

Q: What are the best examples of long‑term goals that survived big life changes?
Some of the best examples include people who paused degrees to care for family and later finished part‑time, workers who switched industries in stages over several years, or parents who stretched fitness timelines while raising young kids. In every case, the goal stayed, but the timeline and methods flexed.

Q: Are there examples of goals that are too ambitious to fix with journaling?
Yes. If a goal ignores your health, legal limits, or financial reality, journaling alone won’t fix it. For instance, trying to work 80 hours a week long‑term while managing a chronic illness isn’t a mindset issue; it’s a structural one. In those cases, the best move is often to redesign the entire goal with support—from a coach, therapist, or medical professional—rather than push through.

The thread running through all these examples of overcoming obstacles in goal setting examples is simple: when the goal and your life collide, you don’t have to choose between “try harder” and “give up.” There’s a third option—rewrite the goal, one honest journal entry at a time.