“Everyone has problems, but never lose your happiness just because you focus too much on your problems.” -Anonymous.
Everyone in this world has problems in life. For most of us, we can quickly solve them without much trouble. We either come up with quick solutions or use strategies that worked in the past days. For example, if you have overslept in the morning and you are going to be late for work, you might decide to call your boss and explain your situation while getting dressed and get ready in half the usual time you take.
Problems become more difficult when there are no obvious solutions and plans that you have tried in the past don’t work. These types of problems cause a great deal of stress and anxiety and require new and different strategies every time.
Now let’s get into it a little deep.
What Is A Problem?
Mostly it is a matter or situation regarded as unwelcome or harmful and needing to be dealt with and overcome.
Now Why Does The Problem Arise?
The answer is straight and simple..They may be as a result of lack of knowledge,ignorance, natural or unexpected conditions. It is important to note that when a problem arises you must be pertinent but also steer away from panic.
There are many techniques to problem solving. Examples include trial and error, difference reduction,means-ends analysis, working backwards,analogies and many more .
Every problem has a solution by default .One needs to have the patience to analyse the problem and high level of problem solving skills. Problem Solving is the process of defining a problem, determining the cause of the problem which includes identifying, prioritizing, and selecting alternatives for a solution and then implementing it.
What Are The Skills Required When Solving A Problem?
- Active listening
- Analysis
- Research
- Creativity
- Communication
- Dependability
- Decision making
- Team-building
Problem-solving skills are important in every career at every level. Hence effective problem solving may also require industry or job-specific technical skills. For example, a nurse will need active listening and communication skills when interacting with patients but will also need effective technical knowledge related to diseases and medications. In many cases, a nurse will need to know when to consult a doctor regarding a patient’s medical needs as part of the solution.
7 steps of Problem Solving:
Step 1.Check If The Problem Exist
In this first step it is highly important to find out that there is a Problem.Because most of the time problems can cause many mental issues like anxiety,tension as the result many of us try to avoid,postpone or ignore when dealing with the difficult situations in life. Sadly,avoiding the difficult situations usually causes them to come back and then there are chances that the small problem can turn into a big problem at times.
Pro Tip: Write it down. When a problem causes you any kind of anxiety, it is best to use a pen and paper and to work it out in written form. More likely it is easy to deal with a problem when written down on paper.
Step 2: Find Out What Is The Problem?
Before trying to solve a problem, you first need to define it. Here are some tips on how to properly define what your problem is:
One has to focus on the problem itself. Ask yourself the following questions:
What is the current situation? (e.g. my manager gives me too much of work in the weekends)
What would I like the situation to be? (e.g. I would except my manager to give me less working the weekends)
What is the obstacle that is keeping me from my desired situation? (e.g. I’m not sure how to talk to my manager about my work condition)
Pro Tip: Be specific and concrete while finding out the problem. Define it clearly.
Step 3: What Are My Goals For This Problem?
In order to know whether you have solved your particular problem, it is very important to know beforehand what a solved problem would look like?
In this stage Start with short-term goals to solve a particular problem. If you set goals that can be reached quickly to solve your problem, you are more likely to work on that problem without postponing. You can set long-term goals at the same time, but make sure to have short-terms goals as well so you know whether the problem is solved. In case of weekend work problems, a long-term goal might be to get another job while a short-term goal might be to reduce your workload on the weekend.
Pro Tip:The goal has to be realistic. Make sure that the goals are achievable or reachable, if they are unrealistic you will probably not reach them and you will feel bad.
Step 4: Divert Your Attention From Problem To Solution
We are more likely to come up with a good solution if you have a lot of solutions in our hands. One has to come up with at least 10 possible solutions to the problem. The biggest mistake that we tend to make when finding solutions is to think about the same old solutions which worked last time. Now, if those old solutions worked, the problem would not still be around us. If you are having a hard time coming up with new and different solutions to your problem, ask friends, family or co-workers for advice. Other people might have ideas that you have not even thought of.
Pro Tip: Always When the difficult problems come into picture, the first idea that comes to your mind is not always the best. Take the time to come up with new possible solutions.
Step 5: Deciding On A Solution
In this step,It is important to make sure that our solution will help you reach our desired goals. For example, “work harder daily ” as a solution to the work problem will not help you to reach your goal of having less work on the weekend. We can expect that any solution will require some dedicated time and also the effort but the amount involved needs to be related to our needs.One had to also think about “How will I feel if I pick this solution?” If you think that a solution will make you feel bad or too anxious, it might not be the best solution for your problem.
Pro Tip: The goal is to find the best solution to your problem, NOT the perfect solution. If there was a “perfect” solution,the problem wouldn’t have been raised again.
Step 6: Implementation And Carrying Out The Solution
In this 6th step, actually this is the most difficult step because we now have to start carrying out the solution which we have chosen in real life. Most of us are afraid that we might have picked the wrong solution, or there might be a better solution if we just think about the problem more. This is not supportive thinking to come to a conclusion, it is better to act than to do nothing at all.
Pro Tip: If you have to carry out your solution, you can prepare an action plan. If you know how you are going to carry out your solution, you are more likely to follow what you have planned.
Step 7: Evaluating The Solution
The final stage of problem solving is concerned with checking that the process was successful. This can be achieved by monitoring and gaining feedback from people affected by any changes that occurred. It is good practice to keep a record of outcomes and any additional problems that occurred.If everything goes according to the plan that indicates the problem is now solved and even if it wasn’t, the above steps still remain the same. It is very important that the whole process is evaluated from problem to solution. The process of evaluation reveals how successfully solved your problem.
Pro Tip: The more important the problem is or the more complex the actions required to solve it, the more planning and preparation you need to do.
Life is Simple with problems. But worrying about problems is not going to solve them. Think about the problem at hand, focus on developing a solution and then work towards the solution with gusto. Problem solving skills are an invaluable asset which help us live our life well. Never develop the habit of running around the same problem and making it bigger and bigger in your mind since that is a vicious cycle which is completely useless. Effective problem-solving skills are a must-have if you want to have a peaceful life.There is a certain joy that you can derive when you get adept at solving problems. Problems don’t exist to make us weak, they exist to give us opportunities to grow in life. They need to be looked at in the right perspective and handled wisely. So use up all the problem solving skills you’ve got to simplify your life!
