Bigger problem

You’d never expect to solve a problem by making it even more of a problem, yet sometimes doing just that can be surprisingly effective. The very problem with many problems is that they are not big enough to provide much in the way of motivation. Most people would respond quickly and forcefully if they were suddenly and directly threatened. Many of those same people would, when faced with a minor annoyance, simply complain about it rather than take steps to get past it.

If there is a challenge facing you, consider adding some of your own challenge to it. Raise it to a higher priority level, so that it goes from being a problem to being a mission. When that happens, control of the situation shifts from the problem to you. It’s no longer something that controls and influences your life. It’s something you’ve willingly chosen to tackle.

For example, if your challenge is to wake up at 5:00 a.m. in order to get to work on time, make it a challenge of your own choosing by deciding to wake up at 4:30 a.m. and use that extra time to read or exercise. Then, instead of reluctantly following someone else’s schedule you’re enthusiastically following your own.

When confronted with a vexing problem, think about what you could do to make the problem even more challenging. In almost every case, the things you come up with will clearly point to numerous opportunities.