September 11th, 2009 Working on the Solution, Not the Problem
by Patti Tokar
I’m listening to an audio book by Marcia Wieder, an author and personal dream coach. One line of her presentation has really resonated with me. She stated that you must always work on the solution, not on the problem. Working on the problem just creates more of the problem. I thought of how true this really is and how diligently I can work on a problem without much progress. An ongoing problem needs a new focus and a change, not just frantic managing of the problem. For example, how many times have I tried to manage clutter by organizing it, stacking it, hiding it, etc., when what really needed to happen was for me to look at the solution? In this case it was to just step back and change my perspective on possessions and learn to let go of things, to not bring useless items into my life, and to appreciate beauty and space?
This one line has already really made a change in the way I am approaching things – now I’m asking myself, “Am I working on the problem, or working on the solution?” It makes a huge difference and I encourage you to try it, too.
