Concentrate on solutions, not on problems

Sometimes I like blogging about productivity stuff and the right mindset to have when you’ve a startup. Today is one of those days.

In your startup journey you will be overwhelmed by problems. Really. If you want to run a company and you think that everything will run smoothly… well, I’m sorry to say that this won’t ever happen. Even if you’re in the miracle conditions that you have not problems (what business are you running? Seriously, I’ve to consider changing my job…), surely you will be overwhelmed by too many things to do: meetings to attend, events, development of the product, answering emails, writing a business plans, etc etc…

Keeping a healthy mental attitude in your startup journey is really fundamental or you risk to become completely mad. Sincerely speaking there is no secret and I’ve still not found this right attitude. But day after day I discover little tricks on how to get less mad, so I’m mad but still not completely insane :). The funny part of this tricks is that they seem to be pronounced by Captain Obvious, but in the end, when you finally start applying them, you understand that Captain Obvious was right.

The trick I want to tell you is the one of the title: “Concentrate on solutions, not on problems“. This is a very well known statement of personal growth world: the more you apply it in your life, the better for you. From my experience it is completely impossible to be applied at 100%… some thoughts literally haunts us and they’re very hard to kill… but managing to apply it at least at 70%, really makes life better.

Ok ok, but what I’m talking about? It’s very simple: thinking about problems is absolutely useless, so it is being worried or angry. I know, these are very human reactions and it’s hard to get rid of it, but I want you to try the same…ok? Let me go on: if you think about a problem and think about all its consequences and bad things it gives to you, the only result you obtain is your bad mood. So, the problem doesn’t get solved by these useless thoughts… plus you find yourself sad or angry. Not a great result, after all.

The solution is in looking at its solution. So, instead of thinking about your problem and how bad it is, you should think about how to solve it. I mean, even it the problem is a huge one you have at least start thinking about first strategies on how to solve or mitigate it. Even only the first steps. Even crazy possible solutions. It should work this way:

• You get to know about the problem
• You dispair for something like 2.34 seconds
• You take a deep breath
• You start thinking about how to solve the problem

And then you concentrate only on the solution. It should be an automated routine (like a Event Callback inside your mind :)) that you run whenever you have something that gives you problems. So, for example..

1. You discover that you have a new urgent task to do today that occupies you 4 hours but your day is already very busy.
2. Little dispair
3. Breath & relax
4. Possible solutions:
   1. Think about if you can delegate part of the task
   2. Think about the unnecessary stuff you have to do today. If something is not urgent, you can do it tomorrow.
   3. Think if there is a way to postpone the deadline and what are the consequences
   4. etc…

Ok, I think you got it: you just think about all the solution strategies and nothing else. Since you have to think anyway, just think about a solution and don’t start a useless depression loop. This will have two advantages:

1. You immediately feel better. Since thinking about solving a problem for our brain is a bit like solving it (that’s why we’re so good at procrastinating while doing to-do list!), you will feel a little relieve. Furthermore, you’ll have the impression that you’re the boss of your life, you’re like that evil characters of movies that never die. You’re such a strong person;
2. Maybe you solve the problem. Really. Or at least you’ll find yourself in a better situation.

So, if you start this healthy routine that triggers whenever you have a problem, you’ll feel better and will get less mad. I know it’s hard, I know that sometimes you won’t do it (especially for love stuff… for those there’s no solution… luckily this is a startup blog :D)… but do it!

That’s it for the shower thoughts of today. Hope you liked my post… and that it will help you somehow!