What Problem Does That Solve?

The Second Step is Admitting You Have a Problem

In an earlier post  from this BLOG I wrote that I ask myself three questions when faced with an decision having alternative choices.  In that post, I zealously detailed the first question, which was “What would I do if I was not afraid?”  And in this post I will make a grand attempt to explain the second question.

The Second Question…

The second question is one that I regrettably failed to ask myself for much of my life.  I would make a choice based on notions such as, what seemed to be the most fun, what seemed the coolest thing to do, what was trendy, what others were doing, or what was the easiest.

Paradoxically, the result was often a spectacular success…by somebody else’s standards.  As can be seen in the right column of this BLOG under My Life Philosophy, I state that success is “accomplishing your goals.”  The “your” in that statement is the key, the secret, the epiphany.  Your goals.  Your needs.  Your problem.  

Thereby, the second question I ask myself when making a decision is “What problem does that solve?”    

Why Ask What?

As difficult as it is to concede, there is a major error in many of our decision making processes.  We rarely - on a conscious level - ask if the chosen solution solves our problem. Or to put it differently, will the outcome actually be meaningful or benefit us in any way.  And for those getting your unmentionables all twisted right now, I am not advocating anyone to think egocentrically here.   The problem this solves could very well be for a friend, for your employer, or for your customer.  After all, solving someone else’s problem is solving yours in much the same way as us doing altruistic actions for others brings us more pleasure than the recipient.

Consequently, if no goal is accomplished, no need satisfied, no problem solved, and accordingly there is no meaningful outcome - then your action was in futility and should not have been taken.

Example: I am a fitness fanatic, which really means I love the exercising, but really have no convictions as to precisely what I do.  I just love the feeling, the atmosphere, and the camaraderie that goes along with being a fitness enthusiast.

Thusly, I will be doing my normal routine and see someone doing an unconventional exercise or new machine and think to myself that I should do that.  Most recently, there was a trainer at my gym doing some cross fit type routine (a comprehensive overall cardio, agility, and weight lifting routine) and I was quite intrigued.  I thought that what he was doing was really neat and looked both fun and difficult.  It seemed to be a workout with “real world” applications.  

I wanted to try it, so I talked to him, and he said I could train with him the following Monday.   I was super excited, but was immediately figuring out in my head when I was going to fit in my normal training regimen for that day. 

It was then that I had the epiphany that the cross fit workout seemed cool and exciting but, unless I was on the savannah running from lions, or if I was getting ready for an MMA fight, or if I was training for an event that combined cardio fitness with strength and agility, it really served no purpose for me.  In other words, it did not solve my problem of maximizing my strength and muscle, minimizing my body fat, and being in running shape.  Hard weight training solved my size and strength problem and running on the treadmill solved my body fat and running problems.  The cross fit training would get me in great overall shape, but would not have solved my specific problems or addressed my self-imposed goals.  It was the metaphoric shiny new toy for me to play with. 

Assessment

If your action does not solve a problem or help you attain a goal you have set, then it was likely not the right action to take and you should have chosen a different action among your choices or you should have given yourself a different set of actions to choose from for a different goal.  You don't have a set of goals?  Well then, that is for another post.   

So, when facing a situation, opportunity, dilemma, problem, or realistically any choice I ask:

1) What would I do if I was not afraid?

2) What problem does that solve?

3) …..for a later post.

Enthusiastically scribbled by, 
Jason Riemens