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t and then draw a line to one aspect of it. Break that aspect of it down into separate sections with connecting lines.</p><p id="36b7">Do the same with other aspects of the problem. If potential solutions occur to you as you’re doing this, add them to the mind map and see what directions they lead you in.</p><h2 id="e907">4. Write a List of Pros and Cons</h2><p id="9c1c">Use this method if you have two or more possible solutions to a problem and you’re not sure which one would be best.</p><p id="57e3">Take a few sheets of paper and write one of the potential solution at the top of each sheet of paper. Then divide each sheet into two columns: pros and cons. Write as many advantages and disadvantages of each potential solution that you can think of in the relevant columns.</p><p id="6989">When you’ve finished, add up the pros and cons to find out which possible solution has the most positives and the least negatives. Ask yourself if you agree that this would be the best solution.</p><p id="93e4">This method helps you clarify your thoughts which may go all over the place when thinking about the advantages and disadvantages of potential solutions.</p><h2 id="01ef">5. Trust Your Gut</h2><p id="9d0f">Have you ever felt deep down in the pit of your stomach that a course of action is wrong for you, even when everyone else is telling you it’s a wonderful opportunity and you’d be mad not to take it? That’s your gut instinct talking to you and it’s always right!</p><p id="0647">I have sometimes had a gut instinct that a potential project would not be right for me when I’ve spoken with a potential client. At the same time, my head was saying: “You’d be crazy not to take this opportunity” or “You need the money, so take it even if it’s not ideal”. Every time I’ve listened to my head and not my gut, I’ve later found out that I had made the wrong decision for me.</p><p id="b6bf">So, trust your gut rather than your mind. If your gut is leading you in a direction that seems to be contrary to reason, at least listen to what it has to say and take it into consideration. The chances are that it knows what’s best for you.</p><h2 id="a4fc">6. Ask Advice</h2><p id="2c83">It’s best to try and solve a problem by yourself first but, if you’re really stumped, ask someone else’s advice. Choose someone who has a positive attitude and has experience of the area in which your problem resides. So, if it is a problem related to your business, ask someone who is further along the entrepreneurship road than you are.</p><p id="180d">If you don’t know anyone who may have been in a similar situation, ask someone you respect who has had more life experience than you. Sometimes we instinctively know who is the best person to help us with a particular problem.</p><p id="807b">Once you’ve received the advice, take some time to think about. Use the advice to help you move forward but don’t take it as the definitive answer. The advice may, for example, lead you to research another possibility that you hadn’t even th

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ought of by yourself.</p><p id="31ca">Remember that you and you alone are responsible for solving your own problems and the best solution for you may be different from the way in which another person would solve the problem. So, ask for and receive advice but always make the final decision yourself.</p><h2 id="21b9">Be Curious and Creative when Solving Problems</h2><p id="b12f">These are just six ways I’ve found helpful to solve problems. You might be able to solve a problem using just one of these ways but other problems might need a combination of different methods and/or a lot of trial and error before you arrive at a solution.</p><p id="7933">View each problem as a puzzle that needs to be solved. Try to be intrigued by it rather than worried about it. Be creative in your approach to solving it.</p><p id="45b2">That’s easier said than done, I know! However, if you approach a problem with a sense of curiosity and creativity, you’ll be more likely to find an innovative solution than if you feel worried or anxious about it.</p><p id="c4cc">Do you use any other ways of solving problems? I’d love to hear about them in the comments.</p><p id="41d4">You may also enjoy reading:</p><div id="b1e4" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/four-practical-steps-to-get-handle-on-your-debt-10a2f22d2ed0"> <div> <div> <h2>Four Practical Steps to Get Handle on Your Debt</h2> <div><h3>It’s time to know your numbers</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*RrwCAOdt7Xj8dN1bV0LUMw.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><div id="3d67" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/how-to-move-forward-on-the-road-to-success-421496b64c9c"> <div> <div> <h2>How to Move Forward on the Road to Success</h2> <div><h3>Don’t let these things get in your way!</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*sK2hCafMMDk9HIRLcE4zgQ.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><div id="bfcf" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/boost-your-productivity-as-a-business-owner-cf54fcb6198e"> <div> <div> <h2>Boost Your Productivity as a Business Owner</h2> <div><h3>Make the Best Use of Your Time</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*n5kE0klIEu-x4JWfN9QO5Q.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div></article></body>

5 Easy Steps to Solving a Problem

“Happiness is not the absence of problems, but the ability to deal with them.” Charles De Montesquieu, French philosopher

Life is full of problems — from small, niggling ones to large, potentially life-changing ones. If we are human, one thing is for sure — we won’t escape problems as we go through life. There will be work problems, relationship problems, money-related problems, parenting problems and many, many more types of problems.

So, when you encounter a problem, what do you do? Of course, the best way forward is to solve the problem as quickly as possible, but that’s not always easy. Here are six steps to finding a solution to any problem you may face.

1. Take a Break

It might seem counter-intuitive but one of the best things you can do when you encounter a problem is to step away from it. Do something different. Go to another place, if possible.

Sometimes solutions to problems pop into your brain when you’re doing something completely different. It doesn’t always happen but it’s worth a try.

Thinking and thinking about a problem so that the thoughts whirl around and around in your head doesn’t usually lead to a solution but just makes you feel awful.

2. Write in Your Journal

Write about the problem in your journal. Write down everything that comes to mind about the situation, your thoughts and feelings, other people’s thoughts, feelings and opinions, and anything else that you’d like to express.

Don’t worry about your spelling or grammar. Just write in a stream of consciousness style so that you get everything down as quickly as possible.

Sometimes, while journaling, possible solutions may occur to you. At other times, they won’t, but you’ll feel much better once you’ve dumped all your thoughts about the problem onto the paper or screen.

3. Brainstorm or Mind Map

Brainstorming and mind mapping can help you to look at a problem from many different angles and perspectives.

When brainstorming, just write down as many possible solutions to the problem that you can think of. Write down everything that occurs to you as soon as it pops into your mind, no matter how crazy or unlikely it may seem. Try not to judge each potential solution — just write it down. One or more possible solutions may stand out and show you the way forward.

When mind mapping, write the problem in the center of a large piece of paper. Draw a circle around it and then draw a line to one aspect of it. Break that aspect of it down into separate sections with connecting lines.

Do the same with other aspects of the problem. If potential solutions occur to you as you’re doing this, add them to the mind map and see what directions they lead you in.

4. Write a List of Pros and Cons

Use this method if you have two or more possible solutions to a problem and you’re not sure which one would be best.

Take a few sheets of paper and write one of the potential solution at the top of each sheet of paper. Then divide each sheet into two columns: pros and cons. Write as many advantages and disadvantages of each potential solution that you can think of in the relevant columns.

When you’ve finished, add up the pros and cons to find out which possible solution has the most positives and the least negatives. Ask yourself if you agree that this would be the best solution.

This method helps you clarify your thoughts which may go all over the place when thinking about the advantages and disadvantages of potential solutions.

5. Trust Your Gut

Have you ever felt deep down in the pit of your stomach that a course of action is wrong for you, even when everyone else is telling you it’s a wonderful opportunity and you’d be mad not to take it? That’s your gut instinct talking to you and it’s always right!

I have sometimes had a gut instinct that a potential project would not be right for me when I’ve spoken with a potential client. At the same time, my head was saying: “You’d be crazy not to take this opportunity” or “You need the money, so take it even if it’s not ideal”. Every time I’ve listened to my head and not my gut, I’ve later found out that I had made the wrong decision for me.

So, trust your gut rather than your mind. If your gut is leading you in a direction that seems to be contrary to reason, at least listen to what it has to say and take it into consideration. The chances are that it knows what’s best for you.

6. Ask Advice

It’s best to try and solve a problem by yourself first but, if you’re really stumped, ask someone else’s advice. Choose someone who has a positive attitude and has experience of the area in which your problem resides. So, if it is a problem related to your business, ask someone who is further along the entrepreneurship road than you are.

If you don’t know anyone who may have been in a similar situation, ask someone you respect who has had more life experience than you. Sometimes we instinctively know who is the best person to help us with a particular problem.

Once you’ve received the advice, take some time to think about. Use the advice to help you move forward but don’t take it as the definitive answer. The advice may, for example, lead you to research another possibility that you hadn’t even thought of by yourself.

Remember that you and you alone are responsible for solving your own problems and the best solution for you may be different from the way in which another person would solve the problem. So, ask for and receive advice but always make the final decision yourself.

Be Curious and Creative when Solving Problems

These are just six ways I’ve found helpful to solve problems. You might be able to solve a problem using just one of these ways but other problems might need a combination of different methods and/or a lot of trial and error before you arrive at a solution.

View each problem as a puzzle that needs to be solved. Try to be intrigued by it rather than worried about it. Be creative in your approach to solving it.

That’s easier said than done, I know! However, if you approach a problem with a sense of curiosity and creativity, you’ll be more likely to find an innovative solution than if you feel worried or anxious about it.

Do you use any other ways of solving problems? I’d love to hear about them in the comments.