How to problem solve (or how to overcome any challenge!)

Like it or not we are all faced with problems at some point in daily or weekly schedule. You may think that these problems are insurmountable. However, believe me there is nearly always a solution to any problem you face.  Initially you may not see a solution however think and see the problem from a different view point. In fact the first thing you can do is to see the problem as a challenge rather than a problem. It’s easier to complete a challenge and find solutions to challenges rather than to problems.

Sometimes what you see as impossible someone else will see as easy to solve. So look at things from a different perspective or think about how a friend might tackle the challenge.

Overcoming Challenges and finding solutions

Being able to solve challenges is a really essential skill to have. The more you do it the better you will get at it.  The thing is that so many people shy away from problems so they don’t have experience because they have never tried!  Sometimes we look for a more difficult solution, some challenges are easy to solve when you change how you think!

Here are my top tips for overcoming a challenge

1. Walk away from the problem for a while. If you keep thinking about the problem, if you focus too long on it you will literally melt your brain and you won’t be able to think straight.  So when faced with a challenge stop and walk away. Your mind will work away on it while you focus on something else. Before you know it you will find a solution.

1. Get a third party opinion. Getting someone else to look at the problem brings a fresh pair of eyes. They may have encountered this challenge before and have an easy solution for you! Sit down with a third party and get them to brainstorm some ideas. Remember two heads are better than one!

1. Write it down. Get a sheet of paper and write down everything you know about the challenge. Think about possible ideas that may help the problem.  Think of everything and write it down. At this point don’t discard anything. Then combine this with what you did in step 2.
2. Chunk down – break the problem down into smaller chunks. A large problem is really a series of smaller more manageable problems. By chunking down you will be able to solve one problem at a time.

• For example, earning 100,000$ a year seems a lot, but if you break it down it’s $8,300 a month which is $2083 per week or $347 a day or $34.70 an hour. Now that seems a little bit more manageable.

1. There is always a solution to every problem. As they say there is more than one way to skin a cat. So think of as many solutions as possible and one will be right. If you have the mindset that only one solution is out there you are limiting yourself.

This list above is no exhaustive but it is a start and will help you greatly.

The main idea here is to change how you think about problem solving. In fact change the word problem to challenge.

Tagged as: overcoming challenges, problem solving