Concept
Five Obstacles
The five obstacles are Robert Kiyosaki's name for the inner blocks that keep people who already know what to do with money from actually doing it: fear, cynicism, laziness, bad habits and arrogance.
In Rich Dad Poor Dad, Kiyosaki points out that plenty of people understand the basics of saving and investing and still don't act. In his view, the gap is rarely information. It is usually one of five inner obstacles. Fear of losing money makes people play only not to lose. Cynicism lets other people's doubts talk them out of every opportunity. Laziness often hides behind busyness and the phrase "I can't afford it." Bad habits quietly drain what's left, such as paying everyone else before yourself. Arrogance treats what you don't know as unimportant, and that is exactly where money gets lost. Each obstacle needs a different counter-move, so a generic resolution to "be more disciplined" usually misses. Rather than fighting all five at once, notice which one shows up most in your own week and work on that one first.
A real-life example
Maya has read three investing books and keeps postponing opening a brokerage account. She watches her own week and sees the pattern isn't fear. Each time she starts, a colleague's "the market's about to crash" or a gloomy headline stops her. Her obstacle is cynicism. Her counter-move is to write down exactly what each warning claims and check one primary source before reacting. Two weeks later she opens the account with a small monthly transfer.
How to use it
- 1For one week, each time you skip or postpone a money decision, jot down which obstacle showed up: fear, cynicism, laziness, a bad habit or arrogance.
- 2Pick the one that appears most and match it to its counter-move. Start small for fear, check the facts for cynicism and ask "How could I afford it?" for laziness. Pay yourself first for bad habits, and ask someone who knows for arrogance.
- 3Apply that single counter-move for a month before turning to the next obstacle.