6 Essential Habits to Successfully Manage any Problem

How many of us have encountered situations where we just didn’t have all the answers or didn’t know what to do? I can put my hand up to this many time over.

We have all faced challenges either at work or in our personal life that has left us feeling bewildered. How many of us feel inadequate and uncomfortable not knowing what to do or not having all the answers? To all who can relate to this, let me say this-  it’s ok to not have all the answers or not to know what to do when you are faced with a challenge. A successful outcome does not entirely lie in knowing what to do, it lies in how you behave through the challenging experience. It’s the habits of our mind that determine our level of success in any situation.

So, what are these habits that I speak off? I refer to these as a series of behaviours that can be learned and exercised when we are confronted with problems. Particularly in times where solutions are not glaringly apparent. Developing positive habits helps us to remain focused, flexible and open in times of uncertainty. They allow us to concentrate on rational actions rather than irrational emotions that hinder progress.

I am a big advocate of 6 key habits of mind I teach to my clients and I share below with you:

1- Investing in Personal Development

Everything starts with self-awareness, without it, we have little to no insight into our thoughts, emotions and behaviours. Without having insight, we do not understand how we are affecting our situation or the people around us. Without self-awareness, we too cannot have an awareness of others- their emotions and behaviours. A lack of insight means we often miss vital cues that could help us reach a rational resolution to a challenging situation. Always invest in personal development that helps you increase your EQ. Read related books, engage with a Coach, take a personal development course… whatever floats your boat but never stop investing in yourself.

2 – Be open to continuous learning

Charlie Munger once said, “those who keep learning, will keep rising in life” I cannot agree with this more; life is one continuous lesson.  I teach my clients 3 important benefits of having an open mindset to continuous learning:

• It keeps your mind sharp and you acquire new skills
• It builds confidence and self-efficacy
• Developing new skills opens new doors and new ways of doing things

When you are open and fearless to continuous learning you quickly realise that whilst you may not know how to handle a challenging problem, you have the capacity to learn.

3 – Flexibility breeds different perspective

We are taught that physical flexibility is good for our health. We go to yoga and pilates to stretch our bodies for better flexibility. Mental flexibility is just as important and we need to learn to be mentally flexible. Mental flexibility is the ability to react to situations in different ways, it helps us see different perspectives which we may not necessarily have seen before.

• Evaluate your actions (Self-awareness and EQ is a key element in this process)
• Look for areas where you can give up control- flexibility takes place in the absence of control
• Reward yourself for flexibility and don’t focus on perfectionism
• See what your mistakes are trying to teach you
• Be open to hearing things from other people’s point of view

4 – Persistence is the sticking point

We all face setbacks, this is the nature of life but we must not allow setbacks to define us and shape our reality. I refer to persistence as the aptitude of resilience and tenacity to stick through with a task with focus, flexibility and creativity.  I teach my clients that effective problem solving must persist even when the solution to a problem is not obvious.

5 – Take responsible risks

Have the courage to do something that you have not attempted to do before when faced with a challenge. It requires taking a calculated risk with an understanding of possible consequences. If you do not take a risk you could miss opportunities which may not be apparent to you if you stayed in your comfort zone.  Ask yourself the following questions:

• What would I do if I were being more courageous? What risk would I take?
• What is the worst that could happen if I took this risk?
• Do I have a fear of failure that causes me to overvalue the size of the risk?
• Do I understate my abilities to handle the outcomes of the risk?

6 – Inject Humor

I am sure you’ve heard of the saying – “Don’t take life too seriously, you’ll never come out alive”. If you have not heard this before, reread the quote and let it sink in. Life isn’t meant to be taken too seriously. Yes, I know what you are saying…..“but Sonal I am dealing with a really difficult situation right now, it affects my life deeply.” “How can I possibly not take it seriously?” Please understand I am not dismissing anything that you may be dealing with.  What I am suggesting is take a step back from your situation and attempt to view it with compassion, kindness and humour.

We all face difficult situations and challenging problems and often we just don’t know what to do. Not having all the answers to our problems does not mean we are inadequate leaders or employees. It does not mean we are lacking in any way as parents or spouses. It means that we are human! It is ok not to have a solution readily available for any problem we encounter in life. It is not ok to let this affect our behaviour and hinder our progress in attaining a workable solution. Learning to create healthy habits and behaviours will serve you well in creating a successful life.

I provide tailored coaching programs to help you build the 6 essential habits discussed above. Drop me a line to find out how I can help you.