What is the secret to solving problems? Don’t! Yes, don’t do it. It’s a waste of emotional and mental energy. Before you accelerate into resolving a persistent problem, there is a critical question you need to ask yourself: Am I dealing with the problem or the obstacle? Until you can truly distinguish between the two, don’t advance hastily.
As Charles Kettering, engineer, inventor and long time head of research and development at General Motors said, “A problem well stated is a problem half-solved.” With all due respect, I will rephrase this quote to suit our dialogue. An obstacle well stated is a problem solved. You see the reality is that a when most people talk of their problems there are usually describing effects. At the risk of oversimplifying: problem=symptom. The obstacle is where the magic lies. It’s the true bottle-neck in your flow. Start there and you may find the problem disintegrates with little to no effort.
Are you ready to be a doctor? Well then, get your white coat on and stethoscope in hand. With a little deeper thinking, you can begin diagnosing the obstacle after carefully scrutinising the symptoms. And don’t be a Han Solo, you may need the help of a mentor, coach or trusted friend. Let’s work through an example of someone who is overweight. Usually, you might find this person saying the problem is they are overeating. And so, they start ‘fixing’ the problem by going on radical diets. And we know what usually happens soon after. Binging and carb relapse.
Now let’s take another approach. We will refer to a peer-review study conducted at Harvard University spanning 32 years amongst 12,000 people. Ready to have your stomach and mind blown? The simple formula relating to the key indicator for weight gain was this: obesity=friends. The findings reveal proven correlation between the social connections and weight gain (or loss, for that matter). It might surprise you further to learn that the friends didn’t have to live nearby. Long distance contact remains influential. It’s what they have you thinking, accepting and valuing.
So, what if we go back to our disheartened friend and suggest they look closely at their closest friends? Maybe it’s time to limit the association during the period of transformation? The problem could be overeating but the obstacle is the social influence. Now things gets exciting. Why not think of the obstacle as an opportunity? In this case, knowing the obstacle allows the person an opportunity to create healthier relationships. Spending time around people you want to be like can only boost your mood, conversations and practices.
The secret to solving problems requires you to go upstream and see where the logjam is. Tackling problems head on may seem common sense initially but that requires force and will power. These are finite commodities. Instead, why not access your innate creative and analytical capacity to identify the true sources of your dilemma? Do that and you will uncover opportunities for exponential growth.