Maybe you know that person who, from the outside, appears to have “the perfect life” .. somehow, everything just happens to them, and they never seem to have any bad things occur.
They’re just gifted with more luck than most people, including you.
It’s true that people that have consciously created a life they love have usually done it with a strong work ethic that allows them to to maintain persistence and commitment in the midst of challenge and frustration.
And as you’ve probably discovered, the challenge and frustration DOES come.
But the thing is, EVERYONE has to deal with challenge and frustration. Every single human being faces resistance, problems and have bad things happen to them.
How is it that people who seem to have it all together are able to push through their own days of problems, anxiety, weakness and disillusionment .. when you can barely get out of bed or brush your teeth some days?
How do they do it?
Is there a “magic wand” that allows you to break through the frustration of dealing with problems .. a way to push through the dark clouds, and get into the bright light quickly?
Actually, there is – and it’s even more simple than you probably think.
Have you ever thought to yourself:
“If only .. then my problems would all be solved.”
For example, “if only I could lose 20 pounds, I could finally be comfortable in my skin and attract a great partner”.
Or, “if only I earned $10,000 more, I’d finally be comfortable and not have to worry about money.”
I think it’s entirely natural to have thoughts like this .. to think that our problems are the result of our circumstances.
I’ve learned this isn’t true in so many way – such as the fact that money doesn’t solve all problems, and in fact can create others (if you don’t know how it really works or how to leverage it .. instead of becoming victim to it).
Whether it’s money, losing weight, getting a new job, landing that big client .. we all tend to believe that there is some event that, if it was to happen, would lift us out of the challenges and problems we have.
In other words: our goal is to get RID of all the problems we face.
That life is about solving the problems we face, so we can enjoy a blissful, happy and problem-free existence.
There’s Only One Time In Your Life When You’ll Have No Problems … When You’re Dead.
I don’t know about you, but I’m not willing to make that trade.
Here’s the thing.
An interesting reality I’ve discovered over the years is that as you become more successful and achieve higher levels of performance, you actually end up having more problems .. and they’re bigger than the ones that you faced in previous years.
That’s right. The more successful you become, one of the guaranteed things you have to look forward to is that your problems will become even larger.
Hmm. Ok, Greg.. so when do you start making me feel better?
Well, this is ALL about perspective — it’s all in the way you look at it.
Here’s another reality that I’ve learned, after 25+ years in business and learning from some of the truly best in the world: business is ALL about solving problems.
Think about — the only reason that any business exists is to solve some kind of problem that exists for a group of people (customers).
- The barber shop exists because I need to get my hair cut, and don’t trust my son to do it.
- The web designer exists because you need a nice website and don’t want to learn how to speaker computerese.
- The fish store exists because children are fascinated with live creatures, and other people find fish relaxing and enjoyable as a hobby (and they need somewhere to buy them).
No matter what business or organization you look at .. they fundamentally exist, because they’re solving some kind of problem for someone.
And, here’s the important truth about this — the BIGGER the problems you can solve, the MORE that the universe will compensate you for it.
The reason that Microsoft became a powerhouse in the computer world is because Bill Gates solved a MASSIVE problem .. how to get the power of the computer into the hands of the average person.
Remember his original mission? “A computer on every desktop“. Think about how audacious and crazy that goal was! And now .. we all carry ‘computers’ far more powerful in our pocket.
Speaking of which .. Apple Computer continues to dominate because they’re solving a huge problem in today’s world — how to communicate and consume information in a way that’s convenient to me.
They’re making us feel BETTER about all the chaos and information overwhelm. And they’re doing it with incredible design.
A New Perspective: Problems Bring You Opportunity
Hopefully at this point you can see where I’m headed — while most people struggle and try to avoid problems, I believe you should celebrate them and take them on as opportunities.
You’re never going to have “no problems” in your life.
Your goal should NOT be trying to avoid them .. but rather to take on bigger and bigger problems – because that means you’re creating MORE value in the world, and will get compensated accordingly (keeping in mind that you get rewarded for the value you create).
Your measure of success shouldn’t be whether you are dealing with problems .. but rather, if you’re dealing with the SAME problems as you did last year, and the year before.
Successful people solve a LOT of problems, and then move onto the next one. They create success by building momentum, and making progress.
Unsuccessful people try to avoid problems, and end up being dragged down by the same problems over and over.
They never achieve momentum and remain stuck in the same place for years.
And when you take this view, and realize that your problems are the seeds of opportunity for you, then it gets a LOT easier to be excited to tackle them — knowing that there’s an even bigger opportunity for you to shine and conquer just around the corner!