Hi friend,
I’ve been giving some thought to problems lately. I’ve concluded that two questions really matter.
Life is full of joy, excitement, and winning - probably more than most of us tend to see. That said, try and see all the bright sides you want, but life will show up, punch you in the face, and drop a box of problems at your feet with a cheery “Hey, I think these are yours.”
Sometimes they are big curl-up-in-the-fetal position problems, and others, like Starbucks’ vicious change to its rewards program, are less severe.
#1 Who will solve life’s problems with you?
You came screeching into this world focused on solving the problems of eating, pooping, and sleeping. From that day to when you log out for the last time and start pushing up daisies, you will move from one problem to the next. Some of your problems are real, and some are imaginary. All need solving.
Problems range from high-class problems, like the aforementioned Starbucks assault on star-redeeming dreams everywhere, to cry-your-eyes-out problems. The latter often involves giving money to doctors, lawyers, or undertakers - and sometimes all three.
Although not always easy, your perception is the one thing you can control. We should all “look on the bright side,” “stay positive,” and “remember this too shall pass.” Let’s also recognize it’s not all sunshine and roses - live long enough we each stagger through thunderstorms and claw our way through poison ivy.
Living is problem-solving. Stop solving problems, and you stop living.
Your problem-solving partner (s) is your life's most important decision. Who will stand next to you at the funerals or the hospital bed? Who will ride that storm out at the top of the mast screaming in the face of adversity? Who will help you dance through the rain out into the rainbow? It’s never too late to get it right. And it’s never too late to fix the relationships that you want.
#2 What problems do you want to solve for a living?
Work - you get compensated by someone because you solve problems for them. Whether you plow driveways, teach history, pull espresso shots, make art, spreadsheet to your heart’s delight, lead teams, or raise kids (particularly this one) - you are solving problems.
Find work where you LOVE solving the problems you face every day, and you will love your work. The problems will never end, and you should be grateful for that. If they do, the work ends. When that happens, solving life’s problems gets harder.
Only some have the privilege of being selective about their work. For those that do, and it’s more than we think, go after the problems you love solving.
Whatever you do, don’t pick work that solves your constructed status problems - they don’t matter. The only people who care about your title or how much you make are people who want something from you.
Problem-Solving Is Living
Deeply appreciate that life is problem-solving. Stop solving problems, and we don’t live. To optimize for living, let’s get these two questions to get right:
1. Who will be your problem-solving partner?
2. What problems will you solve for compensation?
Be careful - most of what we worry about never happens anyways. I hope you and I have the clarity to see the real problems from the imaginary. When we can be that problem-solving partner someone needs, let’s show up.
Two Questions That Really Matter