There are a lot of ways to go about problem solving, goal setting and achieving success.  For the longest time I’ve been focused on “finding the problem you need to solve RIGHT NOW and then solving it” (both for my life and when I share advice about mentoring).  That’s a great start and I’ve recently had the a-HA! moment that it’s also the wrong focus (thank you Ayelet Baron for those amazing conversations!).  I was so close and yet so far…

WHAT YOU FOCUS ON IS WHAT YOU GET

Yes, you have to know what challenges you’re facing if you want to set goals to overcome problems and achieve success.  It’s that middle area between 1) realizing what the problem is and then 3) successfully solving it that makes all the difference.  Between 1 and 3 is the GAP, it’s 2) what you do, who you talk to and how you get to the solution.

If you keep thinking about the problem, talking about the problem and focusing on the problem you’re going to spend your days in a not so happy and not so productive place.   What can you do instead?

Follow…

THE 10/90 RULE OF THUMB

Once you recognize the challenge you’re facing IMMEDIATELY shift your focus to creating opportunities to solve it.  Instead of starting everyday with your checklist and ongoing conversations with yourself and others about “I have this problem, what can I do about it?” think about the difference when you ask yourself and others “I’m looking for people and resources to create (a solution – a new client, a new job, start a nonprofit, get funding, etc); what great people can I reach out to today?”

KEY POINT: REACH OUT to people to help you create opportunities!  Collaborating with great people to co-create opportunities beats the “lone wolf” approach to solving problems ANY day.

The 10/90 Rule of Thumb is: Spend 10% of your time finding the problem you need to solve; spend 90% of your time and energy focusing on, talking about and creating opportunities and solutions by collaborating with other people.

It’s a simple and powerful shift.  Your checklist and calendar gets filled with energizing opportunities, you’re talking about making things happen and then going out and making them happen – and collaborating with some great people along the way.

Who will YOU reach out to today and create an opportunity to collaborate with?