Problem-solving
Dec. 27th, 2012 01:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
storytimewithjoeI remember the conversation distinctly. There was a sudden issue that came up, and I had to talk to the person-in-charge to make her aware of the situation. “We’ve got a big problem,” I said to preface the conversation. And with a calm and serene grace, she replied to me, “OK. So let’s talk about the problem and figure out how to turn it into a non-problem.” No more, no less. To me, she had absolutely the perfect attitude for looking at life and facing the occasional challenges that appear. And it is with that in mind that I compose this post.
For me, I will fully admit that one of my biggest character-flaws is my obsessive drive to be a control-freak and a perfectionist. On paper, that might look like the type of thing you’d want out of somebody who is in-charge. But… it isn’t necessarily. Why? Because it isn’t just the wanting of things to be perfect that makes for a good person-in-charge. It is the ability to actually get things perfect (or at least as perfect as possible) when the unexpected occurs. And that is one of my biggest flaws. I can’t punt. If something unexpected happens, my natural inclination is to panic. Why? Because in my head, I hear the glass shatter and my heart just starts pumping. As the adrenaline kicks in, so does my “fight or flight” instinct. So… out goes my rational ability to address the issue. Well… this isn’t entirely true – that WOULD be my typical reaction. But thanks to the advancements of modern medicine (better living through chemistry!), I am a calmer-Joe than I used to be, and my abilities to take a step back to really see the problem have improved.
Sometimes in life, the most overwhelming problem is only overwhelming because you are looking only at the big picture. But often times, a big problem is nothing more than an impressive collection of little problems – each in and of themselves fairly simple to solve. So what do you do? Simple. Don’t attack the big problem. Attack the little problems – one at a time. And as each of the little problems goes away like a mole that has just been whacked, you will begin to see the Big-Problem slowly begin to disintegrate.
So where am I going with this ramble? It is just a reminder to friends and family (and also to myself). If a problem is so big as to be unfixable, stressing out about it won’t help as it’ll only zap your strength and energy unnecessarily. And if the problem can be fixed – divide and conquer to get there. With each fix, you’ll feel better, and you’ll begin to notice your own progress. There are few feelings quite as wonderful as when you realize in your own way at your own time, “Hey, I CAN make things better. I AM fixing this!”
So in the new year, don’t get bowled over by problems. Just focus on taking those problems and turning them into non-problems. Bit by bit, you can!
For me, I will fully admit that one of my biggest character-flaws is my obsessive drive to be a control-freak and a perfectionist. On paper, that might look like the type of thing you’d want out of somebody who is in-charge. But… it isn’t necessarily. Why? Because it isn’t just the wanting of things to be perfect that makes for a good person-in-charge. It is the ability to actually get things perfect (or at least as perfect as possible) when the unexpected occurs. And that is one of my biggest flaws. I can’t punt. If something unexpected happens, my natural inclination is to panic. Why? Because in my head, I hear the glass shatter and my heart just starts pumping. As the adrenaline kicks in, so does my “fight or flight” instinct. So… out goes my rational ability to address the issue. Well… this isn’t entirely true – that WOULD be my typical reaction. But thanks to the advancements of modern medicine (better living through chemistry!), I am a calmer-Joe than I used to be, and my abilities to take a step back to really see the problem have improved.
Sometimes in life, the most overwhelming problem is only overwhelming because you are looking only at the big picture. But often times, a big problem is nothing more than an impressive collection of little problems – each in and of themselves fairly simple to solve. So what do you do? Simple. Don’t attack the big problem. Attack the little problems – one at a time. And as each of the little problems goes away like a mole that has just been whacked, you will begin to see the Big-Problem slowly begin to disintegrate.
So where am I going with this ramble? It is just a reminder to friends and family (and also to myself). If a problem is so big as to be unfixable, stressing out about it won’t help as it’ll only zap your strength and energy unnecessarily. And if the problem can be fixed – divide and conquer to get there. With each fix, you’ll feel better, and you’ll begin to notice your own progress. There are few feelings quite as wonderful as when you realize in your own way at your own time, “Hey, I CAN make things better. I AM fixing this!”
So in the new year, don’t get bowled over by problems. Just focus on taking those problems and turning them into non-problems. Bit by bit, you can!
