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Life
is a continuous succession of problems. They never end. They come in
like the waves of the ocean, one after another. In addition, if you are
living a normal, busy life today, you will probably have a crisis of some kind
every two or three months. The only thing that really matters is how
effectively you respond when things go wrong.
Your
ability to solve problems largely determines your success and your income.
This ability determines how far you go and how high you rise in life. No
matter what the title on your business card, you can cross it off and write
"Problem Solver." That's what you are. That's what you do,
all day long. The only question is, "How good are you at problem
solving?"
Highly
successful people solve big problems. Unsuccessful people solve little
problems or no problems at all. And the bigger and more expensive the
problems you solve, the larger and more important are the problems you will be
given to solve.
The
key to becoming an excellent problem solver is to think and talk about possible
solutions most of the time. Whenever something goes wrong, resist the
temptation to become angry, blame others, or make excuses. Instead, ask
questions like, "What's the solution? What do we do now? What
is the next step? How do we solve this problem? How do we limit the
damage? How can we prevent this from happening again? Where do we go
from here?
The
good news is that the more you focus on solutions, the better you become at
discovering even better and more complex solutions. You become more
effective and creative in everything you do by focusing on solutions most of the
time. Your mind functions at a higher level.
This
is one of the great breakthrough discoveries in brain physiology. A truly
effective person is one who has developed a wonderful ability to respond
constructively to the inevitable problems and difficulties of day-to-day life.
This must be your goal as well. Think about solutions all day long.
Focal Point,
by Brian Tracy
*
Decision-making
models (Z + Nash?)
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