Run The Problem. Don't Let The Problem Run You

Photo by Lucie Capkova on Unsplash

One of my favorite quotes is “Own your outcomes”, and speaks to the need for us to take ownership for whatever happens to us. 

It doesn’t mean we can control whatever happens to us, because many times we can’t. Things happen, whether we like it or not.

But what we can do is take ownership for our situations, stop complaining or commiserating, and control how we respond. In other words, run the problem and don't let the problem run you. 

There’s multiple parts to this. 

First, we need to assess the situation for what it is. Understand what has happened (or is about to happen) and evaluate the outcomes. What will this mean for your role, your initiative, your project, etc.? What will this mean for specific relationships? It’s important to have a level-headed view of the probabilities.

(Note I said “probabilities and not “possibilities”. Any situation will have numerous possible outcomes, but not all of them are probable outcomes. Focus not on the wild fantasy or the outlier, but the higher likelihoods.) 

With the probable outcomes understood, we then need to accept the realities for what they are. This isn’t easy but we need to do it with either a little distance or a little help from others. What are the likely implications and what will that mean for us? We don’t need to put on our rose-tinted glasses but at the same time, don’t make it worse than it is, either.

Once we have that understanding, we need to focus on the path to action. Define how we can react and what we can specifically do. What are our goals and what are the specific next steps? What action steps will move us forward and out of this mess? 

And then, we need to execute. Start working towards it. Don’t think about the end state and how difficult it is, or how long it might take and how high the odds. Just do the work. Put one foot in front of the other. 

The point is, when we’re moving, we feel more in control. We make progress, however small. When we’re moving, there’s less likelihood of getting overwhelmed, less chance of being paralyzed by the situation, or our perception of it. 

The point is, that when we’re in those situations, we need to run the problem - in whatever way we can - and not let the problem run us.