My favorite method for turning problems around is to take something you think you can't do and imagine someone asking you, "Yes, but if you could, how would you do it?"
For instance, let's say you have to write a long report over the weekend but you think you can't do it.
"Yes, but if you could how would you do it?"
Often just asking that opens your mind to new possibilities.
Maybe you'd do it as a PowerPoint presentation instead, or use mind maps instead of long text, or make a video, or phone three colleagues and ask each of them to write a short chapter for you to incorporate.
Sometimes it helps to vary the question to, "If you had unlimited resources how would you do it?"
For instance, you might say, "I'd hire an army of researchers to work for me on Saturday and collate their findings on Sunday."
Well, maybe that's a option--not an army of researchers, but one diligent university student who really knows his or her way around doing research on the internet.
Is there anything you'd like to do at the moment, but you can't?
If you could, how would you?
For instance, let's say you have to write a long report over the weekend but you think you can't do it.
"Yes, but if you could how would you do it?"
Often just asking that opens your mind to new possibilities.
Maybe you'd do it as a PowerPoint presentation instead, or use mind maps instead of long text, or make a video, or phone three colleagues and ask each of them to write a short chapter for you to incorporate.
For instance, you might say, "I'd hire an army of researchers to work for me on Saturday and collate their findings on Sunday."
Well, maybe that's a option--not an army of researchers, but one diligent university student who really knows his or her way around doing research on the internet.
Is there anything you'd like to do at the moment, but you can't?
If you could, how would you?
(If you could get your own copy of my book, "Focus: use the power of targeted thinking to get more done" how would you do it? Right! You'd order it from Amazon or your other favorite online or offline retailer--and you'd be sure to get the one with the yellow and black cover, that's the new expanded edition. There we are, another problem solved!)
