DECIDING ON A SOLUTION IN LIFE PROBLEMS

DECIDING ON A SOLUTION

If you struggle with anxiety, actually picking a solution to your problem can often seem quite difficult. However, it is important to remember that not solving a problem can lead to more anxiety than trying to solve it, no matter how anxious you feel. The following are some guidelines that can help you find the best solution to your problem.

REMEMBER: The goal is to find the best solution to your problem, NOT the perfect solution. If there was a “perfect” solution, you would have already found it

1. Will this solution fix my problem and help me reach my goals? This guideline might seem obvious, however, it is important to make sure that your solution will help you reach your goals. For example, “work harder” as a solution to the work problem will not help you reach your goal of having less work to do in a day.
2. How much time and effort does this solution involve? You can expect that any solution will require some time and effort but the amount involved needs to be related to your needs. “Quitting my job” as a solution to the work problem might involve a great deal of effort, since you would have to start looking for a new job.
3. How will I feel if I pick this solution? If you think that a solution will make you feel bad, guilty or too anxious, it might not be the best solution. For example, “lie to the boss about how much work I actually did” might make you feel bad.
4. What are the costs and benefits of this solution to myself and others, right now and in the long-term? The best solution will have the most benefits and the fewest costs possible. But when thinking about costs and benefits you want to think about how a solution will affect:
   • You right now and in the future
   • Other people in your life right now and in the future
   For example, if you picked the solution, “blame my coworkers for work that isn’t done”, this might solve your problem right now, but it will probably seriously affect your relationship with your coworkers, and in the long-run your boss will probably find out. The costs of this solution seem to outweigh the benefits.

REMEMBER: There is no perfect solution, so when you are judging each potential solution it is unlikely that it will meet all four criteria. That is, it probably won’t solve the problem with no time or effort, make you feel happy while doing it, and have no costs and only benefits. You are looking for a solution that BEST meets the criteria, not perfectly.

CARRYING OUT THE SOLUTION

This is often the most difficult step because you now have to actually start carrying out the solution you chose. Most people are afraid that they might have picked the wrong solution, or that perhaps there is a better solution if they just think about the problem more. This is not helpful thinking: it is better to act than to do nothing at all.

To help you carry out your solution, you can make an action plan. If you know how you are going to carry out your solution, you are more likely to follow through.

Your plan should include all the steps that you will need to take to carry out the solution, and it should be as specific and concrete as possible. For example, if my solution is to “get a new job”, some of the steps involved in that solution might be:

• Make a list of the types of jobs I would like to have
• Buy a newspaper every day and check the “help wanted” ads
• Contact all the employers who advertise a job that I would like to have
• Rearrange my work schedule so I can go to interviews, if necessary

CHECKING IN ON YOUR PROBLEM

Now that you have carried out your solution, you need to make sure that it is working. Sometimes the best-laid plans don’t always turn out perfectly, so it is a good idea to have markers that let you know whether you are on the right track. For example, with the work problem, you might use your workload as a marker for tracking your solution. If you notice that your workload is going down, then your solution is probably working.

What do I do if my solution isn’t working?

Because the unexpected happens in life, sometimes even the best solutions don’t work out well, which is unfortunate but normal. The best thing to do is to recycle through the different steps and ask yourself the following questions:

• Did I define the problem properly?
• Were my goals realistic?
• Are there other possible solutions?
• Is there a better solution that I could have picked?
• Did I carry it out as planned?

If you work through these steps, you might find that you went wrong somewhere, and then you can fix it and try again.

solution: Solving the difficult problems in life is hard work, so make sure to reward yourself afterward for a job well done.

Here is a helpful resource for more information on problem solving:

regards: Mr. VISHVA SATYAM B.A.(HISTORY)