A life where nothing goes wrong, with everything the way you want it to be and without struggles—it doesn’t work that way! Everybody has issues in their life, and it hurts. Sometimes you can do something about it, and sometimes it’s just life, and you’re in shock and disbelief that this could be happening.

A lot of people don’t know what to do with a problem, so they get stuck. Some people realize they have a problem, decide not to get upset, and do what they can. But you have to deal with the situation, in the best way that you know how. Then looking back later, you’ll always be able to say that at least you did something. Whatever you did, it was the best you could do at the time, and you learned something from it.

Most people are so busy they don’t even pay attention. They’re not listening and there’s so much miscommunication, they don’t even know what the problem really is.

For me, I identify the problem, get rid of the deflection, get rid of the “BS,” and go to the source. Now that I understand what we’re talking about, I know exactly what the problem is. Once I understand, I can come up with a solution. I look at every new situation as an opportunity to learn something and to grow.

• Create a system. Learn to deal with problems in a systematic way.
• Gain wisdom. Learn something for the next time.
• Identify the problem first. Get to the source. Why do you have a problem? Identify the cause of the problem and then you can come up with a way to solve it.
• Identify solutions. I’m not looking for a solution to the problem. I want to know why we had the problem in the first place so that we have a solution to the system—so it doesn’t happen again. Consider all the possible solutions.
• Make the best decision and move on. It might not be the right thing to do, or even the best thing to do, because you don’t always have all the facts. When the facts don’t present a clear alternative, believe in yourself. Go with what looks and feels right—take the best action that you can at that time.
• Take charge and push for solutions. If your decision didn’t solve the problem, try something else. If you make the best decision you can with the information you have, you can’t beat yourself up later.
  

It’s impossible to anticipate every possible problem, even with the most careful planning. So, when one shows up, make sure you understand the facts so you can deal with the problem directly, understand why it happened, and set up a system so that it doesn’t happen again.