I have some ideas on problem solving, which I’d like to share with you, and hear your thoughts on.
I noticed someone earlier, mentioning that she needed more hours in the day, to get her work done. Of course, the challenge with trying to solve time management, by looking for more time, is that it’s impossible. You, me and everyone else is blessed with the same 24 hours each day.
Another way to solve our challenges?
Telling ourselves we need more hours in the day, is a common example of how we often seek answers, by focusing on things that are outside our control. A more productive approach, is to look at our challenges and focus on the things we can control.
For example:
- Instead of wishing a certain task was easier, we can focus on developing better skills.
- Instead of wishing our dream home was less expensive, we can focus on becoming financially stronger.
- Instead of wishing we had more friends, we can focus on becoming friendlier and more approachable.
- Instead of wishing people would understand us better, we can focus on becoming better communicators.
Taking responsibility
Of course, by looking at our challenges and putting their resolution in our own hands, we risk being held responsible for our failure if it all goes wrong. There’s a strange sense of self preservation that comes from allowing outside factors to govern our success. If it all goes wrong or we fail to get the results we want, we can always blame our luck or the economy or the weather or the government.
I’d like to know your thoughts on this, but I think we often find ourselves faced with the choice of doing what’s easiest or doing what’s right (and often more difficult). It’s a lot harder to accept and take control of the things that matter most, but I believe there’s no other route, for those of us committed to being the best we can be.
Let me know what you think.
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I really agree with you on this point. By taking things positively and focusing on ways to do things better, we can become a lot more productive.
Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome, Raphael.
A wonderful article there Jim.
The easy route can sometimes be the right route, but you can’t set your default to easy or you will get nowhere.
Keep ‘em coming!
I like the last bullet point, “Instead of wishing people would understand us better, we can focus on becoming better communicators.”
That’s true, sometimes others can be inattentive, ignore you, do what they feel like, etc. and you might take that as THEY are a nuisance, but often a good communicator comes along and changes THEIR attitude because they have great communication skills.
I try to remind myself of that. Think of all the different communication styles from a policeman, salesman, CEO, artist, teacher, parent, spouse, etc. they all communicate quite differently or similarly
I’ve been trying to instil this type of thinking into my “tweenage” son’s brain. He has been wishing he was better at (fill in the blanks as it seems to change everyday). I’ve been trying to push him into the understanding that it’s up to him to practice/learn/work in order to achieve the things he is wishing for – i.e. things he can control and not things that are out of his control.
Marketing and parenting tips! Thanks Jim
having a kind of positive attitude in all the activities that you do would work out well
You hit the nail on the head Jim. By accepting responsibility, we cannot blame anyone or anything should we fail. The flip side is that we get all the kudos when we succeed.
I’ve heard that it’s best to get the hardest task out of the way first. This makes all the other tasks seem so much easier by comparison. It’s a major moral boost when we accomplish the really tough ones first. The rest of the day just goes better because we’re over that hurdle that was weighing us down.
Nice one Jim. Positive self talk and taking responsibility is what it is all about.
Not many will choose the road less travelled. If there is a way to make money easier, why wouldn’t someone choose that route. Why choose a harder route? Sometimes I wonder why would I choose the road less travelled? If I were to choose the easier route, I may be much well off than now. A part of me doesn’t allow me to just make money but make money in a good way, by adding value to humanity.