“Hold up your cup here is some positive tea that I want to pour out for you”.
Whether you are a student or a professional, whether in school, work or just private life, you will bump into problems in form of situations, personal issues, career or school work which will demand you to solve them. While some problems are quite straightforward with a smooth path for solving them or having a known solution, this is not always the case. No one is born knowing how to manage problems. It is a learned skill and builds from one situation to another. However, there is a set of steps one goes through when solving complex problems. FOUR MAJOR STEPS!
- Identify and clarify the problem. Your first task is acknowledging or recognizing that a problem exists. Make sure you are pinpointing or addressing the root of the problem. There may be multiple issues within a single situation. Make a list of these issues and define why each one is a problem to you. Focus on behaviors rather than on yourself or a person. Be aware of the words you use when you’re talking to yourself.
- Incorrect example: “The problem is that I am dumb.”
- Correct example: “The problem is that I easily allow others to mislead or betray me because I trust people too quickly.”
- Defining Goals. Try to define and write down your goals specifically, while making them as realistic and achievable as possible. By doing this you’re increasing your chances of achieving it sooner. An example of a poor or broad goal is “I want to live a happy life.” First, define what happiness means to you and what you can do to feel happier overall. Try to form your goals in the sense of actions you can take to achieve the desired goal. Don’t leave it for later. You’ve done that before and it didn’t turn out well. Your goals can help you take things to the next level in any area of life. There are some things in life you just got to do. Don’t wait. DO IT NOW!
- Set A Deadline. Would you believe that finding the solutions isn’t the step that people have the most trouble with? It’s actually the part where you have to take action! Most of the time, people KNOW what they have to do, they just don’t do it. So, to avoid falling into this booby trap, set up a deadline for when you will have this issue taken care of. Deadlines push us. Adam Savage, an American industrial designer, wrote, “I’ve learned over decades of building that a deadline is a potent tool for problem-solving.” It’s crucial to create deadlines for yourself to help you achieve your goals. Stick to it no matter what, carve it in stone if you have to!
- Evaluation. It’s time to evaluate your success. If you were successful, congratulations! If not, no worries. Focus on corrections. Reframe correction as just that—corrections, rather than as failings. Do not beat yourself up. Maybe you didn’t quite choose the right solution or the situation changed. You have definitely learned something. Quickly take your mind off it. Take two big breaths and name two or three amazing strengths you have. Praise your strengths, not your worries! When you have done this, return to the beginning steps, and try again!
If you feel trapped by burdensome problems, stop waiting to be rescued and start planning your escape. Discover the reason why you were born, refuse to allow any circumstances to limit you, and embrace problem solving and the many unseen treasures it represents.
Hope your cup is full of positivity!
#AlrightNow
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