Barrier Resolution
Planner

Most executives are good at setting goals. Where things break down is the gap between what they intend to do and the specific obstacles that appear when they try to do it. Those obstacles are either internal - relating to beliefs, fears, self-imposed limits, or habits of avoidance - or external - relating to structure, resources, relationships, or organizational dynamics. They require different approaches.

Internal barriers are the ones that tend to stay invisible. They often look like time pressure or competing priorities, but underneath there is usually something more specific: reluctance to delegate because delegation requires trusting others to meet a standard that feels personal, avoidance of a difficult conversation because the discomfort has been calibrated as worse than the cost of not having it, or a perfectionism pattern that keeps something at 90% because 100% is the threshold where it can be judged. Naming the internal barrier is often the hardest part. Once it is named, the resolution options become clearer.

External barriers have the advantage of being more visible, but they can also be used to avoid naming the internal ones. This planner asks you to work with both.