I’ve been working remotely for over ten years now, and one of the most important traits I’ve found in successful, productive people in a remote setting is the ability to unblock themselves and get to the next step.

Whenever you’re working on, you’ll always find obstacles and setbacks. When that happens, it might feel more comfortable to say “oh hey, I tried this but I need permission from John before I fix this” or “sorry boss, I need Sally to do XYZ before I do ABC”; all of that might be true. You might need permission from John before proceeding… but is that really blocking every single thing you can do to make progress on this project or task?

Really? I find that hard to believe. You can always improve something, document it, test it, get feedback on it, and much more. Also, you can actually try to find different ways of getting that permission or avoid needing that permission in the first place.

Whatever it is, try the best to unblock yourself and make progress on whatever it is you’re trying to do. Doing that as a habit will turn you into a more resourceful, productive, and generally autonomous person – which is valuable in business and life.

What can you do to unblock yourself today?