Endless Supply of Solutions

The creative problem solver in you always has more solutions than you need.

-- Doug Smith

Relax the Overwhelm

Have you ever tried TOO hard to solve a problem?

It's possible. I've been know to over-think a problem. People sometimes take the spaghetti approach -- throw a bunch of solutions at the problem and see what sticks.

Sometimes it works. It doesn't always. Sometimes finesse wins the day. Or patience. Or collaboration.

It isn't always necessary to overwhelm a problem in order to solve it. Maybe, like in the martial arts, it pays to let the problem fall on its own with just a gentle re-direction from you.

-- Doug Smith

Next

It's not a choice between solving hard problems or easy problems - solve the problem in front of you.

-- Doug Smith

No Miracles Necessary

When we take charge of our own problems we can stop waiting for miracles.

-- Doug Smith

Find the Positive Choices

Sometimes our biggest problems are filled with positive choices.

Dig digger. Think harder. Ask more. Stay curious and open. The positive choices are there.

-- Doug Smith

Find the Answers That Work

Have you given up on finding all the answers?

The good news is, you do not need to find all the answers. They will change, anyway. Centered, creative problem solvers forces on answers that work. Answers that bring you closer to your goals. Answers that get out of their own way and lead to progress, not more problems.

Creative problems solvers don't need all the answers -- just the ones that work.

-- Doug Smith

Your Problems Aren't Hiding

You know what they are. They've been bothering you. They're getting tough to ignore, so don't. Roll up your figurative and literal sleeves and get busy. Solve the problems in front of you.

-- Doug Smith

Keep Your Past Problems In The Past

Do problems from your past trouble you?

I've sometimes found myself in a pattern of drudging up old problems from the past, as if they had anything at all to do with the present situation. They don't. Oh, they can certainly complicate things. And old problems will stick around as long as you invite them to. Don't invite them.

The problems of our past belong in the past.

Let's leave them there. Drop them like the dead weight they are.

When we fully resolve a present day problem it stops popping up in the future. So if past problems are popping up, maybe they aren't resolved. Resolve them. Retire them. Let them go. But, keeping them around sucks all the energy out of the room and has the problem solving effect of tying your shoes together. Why do that?'

Did you solve that problem? If so, let it go. If no, you know where to go: back to the plan to finish the job.

-- Doug Smith

Control Your Direction

If you let your problems control you, make sure they control you in the direction of a solution.

-- Doug Smith

More than one solution

If that problem has more than one cause it might need more than one solution.

Keep digging.

-- Doug Smith

Learn From An Imperfect Solution

How does it feel when the solution that you've implemented doesn't quite work?

That frustrates me. All that work. All that thinking. And the solution is imperfect.

Well, guess what? Many solutions are imperfect. Maybe every solution that is available to you is imperfect. We do live in an imperfect world.

We can still benefit from imperfect solutions. We can still grow and learn from the results that we achieve, even when they are flawed or temporary.

Just because a problem doesn't stay solved doesn't mean that the solution wasn't valuable.

Maybe it served a short term end. Maybe it solved a key part of the problem. And maybe, just maybe, it's a way to learn and find our way to a better solution. Broken solutions lead to better solutions. Problems test and expand our creativity.

Centered problem solvers know that the problem solving is never done. Evolving solutions is part of the deal.

-- Doug Smith

Looking for a way to bring your team together to collaborate on some solutions? Are you curious about how to train your organization to solve problems with a centered, creative approach? Contact me here: doug@dougsmithtraining.com

Define Carefully

Have you ever found yourself defining yourself with your problems?

It's easy to do. When problems surround us we think about our life in the context of those problems. But they don't need to define us. We are not our problems. We are not the net result of too much happening or unsolved mysteries. We are much more than that.

Our problems don't define us -- our solutions do.

And even then, our solutions only send signals for who we are. We are so much deeper - our character, our beliefs, our emotions, our loves...we are so much more than what we do.

And far more than our problems would indicate.

Stay centered, stay focused, create the you that you want to be -- and solve one problem at a time.

-- Doug Smith

Find The Right Help

Do you have all the help you need to solve your biggest problem?

When I have a problem that I'm struggling to solve, many times I discover that the reason is that I have not yet found the right person to help me.  That ace who was so helpful with the last problem, that team that got it all done -- they may still be lacking a missing piece of wisdom, inspiration, or skill to address the current situation.

Sometimes I just need to find that one person who is best equipped to take that problem on.

Not alone, but in harmony with the efforts already being made. When the right person shows up, it can make all the difference in the world.

Maybe that's true for you.

You may only be one person away from solving that problem.

Are you looking?

-- Doug Smith

Solve It Now

What happens to little problems that are left alone?

They get bigger. They turn more complicated. They grow nasty roots. They require even larger interventions.

The time to solve that problem is now.

If you let a problem go long enough you just get a bigger problem.

And that's not what you want.

The time to solve that problem is when?  Now!

-- Doug Smith

Get Ahead of Your Motivation

Do you ever wait for motivation to hit you before you tackle a tough problem?

I've done that. I've waited for the right moment of motivation before starting to analyze what the problem is or before even defining the problem. The trouble with that is that the problem is getting larger the longer we wait.

We're in charge of our motivation. We create our own motivation. There's never any need to wait for motivation: just go.

Problem solving can't always wait for our interest or motivation. 

Problem solving starts when the problem arises. Why wait?

-- Doug Smith

Dealing With Uncertainty

How will we know that the solution will work?

Have you ever asked yourself that question? The ideas are good, the reasoning is sound, the analysis as complete as you can make it, but will it work? Will it work?

There's some uncertainty in solving problems that can throw us off center. Our emotions can trigger reactions that impact our ability to follow-through with our action plan. The speed of the solution can vary enough to get us confused. While we navigate that uncertainty, it's staying centered that keeps on track. Centering our use of clarity, courage, creativity, and compassion in the midst of change creates the focus we need to stay the course.

Are you willing to trade the certainty of a problem for the uncertainty of a solution?

It's worth it.

-- Doug Smith

Life Changing Solutions

Are you solving bigger and bigger problems?

Have you noticed that the more skill you gain as a centered problem solver the more you feel that impulse to solve even bigger problems?

Solving problems is life changing. Solving problems builds skills we need to help ourselves and others to solve increasingly more challenging problems.

Are you willing to solve a problem if the solution changes your life?

We need to do that. We need to solve the problems that change our lives. And there's no better time to start than right now.

-- Doug Smith

Maybe Try Another Solution

What happens when we use the same solution over and over even when the problems change?

We don't really solve new problems that way do we? And yet so often we pull the same old tools out of our tool box and try the same old solutions.

New problems require new thinking. New problems require new solutions.

It's funny how we sometimes keep trying to same solution on totally new problems.

Funny, but not effective.

Let's do better than that. Let's be more creative. Let's develop new ideas.

How do we do that? Here are a few ways:

• turn your idea upside down - how would it work reversed?
• ask other experts what they think
• ask people who are NOT experts what they think
• look at the problem as if you were ten years old again. What would you do?
• reframe your problem as a goal. How could you achieve that goal.
• rethink your problem as a benefit. What would you do to get more of that problem? Now, how would you reverse that?
• is the root cause what you think it is? what if it were something different? how do you know?

There are many more ways to stay creative.  Go for a walk, look at some art, attend a play (yes, do it!) go to a movie, play an active game -- get things moving within your self and you will likely get things moving within your ideas.

And the ideas are endless. Why settle for less?

-- Doug Smith

Face Those Problems

What happens when you face your problems head-on?

I've noticed that until I face my problems head-on they tend to stick around. They aren't afraid of me. They don't even care whether I care - until I show that I do care with some positive, goal-focused, centered action.

We have to face our problems before we can solve them.

They wouldn't have it any other way.

What problem can you face today?

-- Doug Smith

It's Up To Us

Do other people solve your problems?

I have found that when I do expect solutions to come from other people, I'm usually disappointed. Other people can help. Other people are useful collaborators. Centered problem solvers work well with other people to focus, analyze, create, energize, and solve problems. But it's still up to us.

Depending on other people to solve our problems is the worst kind of useless illusion.

Other people help. Other people care. Other people support and challenge. But we are the ones to solve our problems.

-- Doug Smith