TCFBO #022: Problems, Problems, Problems

Read Time: 2.5 minutes

Problems are basically things that are preventing us from creating the outcomes we desire.

And we all face problems in both our personal lives and in our businesses.

So in order to move forward and create what we truly desire, we have to get past these problems.

But if your focus is primarily on overcoming problems the chances of you creating your vision will be greatly diminished.

You see there are often multiple ways to solve a problem.

And each solution will move you in a different direction.

So, unless you know where you want to end up before you start to resolve the problem, you run the risk of heading off in any number of random directions.

And most of those directions will take you away from your desired outcome and your vision, costing you time, money and energy.

We were once approached by a business owner whose team had been struggling for over a month to get past a particular problem they were facing.

The owner was really frustrated that he and his team never seemed to agree on a solution. 

And, as a result, no progress was being made.

So we drove to their offices and sat in a meeting they were having to discuss the issue.

For the first hour we just sat and observed.

There was heated discussion, blame and ideas that came to nothing.

By the end of the hour they had got no further forward.

They were completely focused on the problem.

And this had led to everyone in the meeting having an opinion on the best direction the business should go in to get away from the problem.

As they were getting nowhere and temperatures were rising, we called a halt to the proceedings and suggested the meeting was run again.

But this time we suggested they try a different approach.

We asked them all to imagine the business as if the problem didn’t exist and then asked each of them to describe what they loved about this new future reality.

In essence, we were getting them to refocus on their vision for the business…their desired outcome.

After just a few minutes everyone in the room was calmly energised and in a much more positive state of mind.

Next, we asked them to imagine the key steps they took that led them from their current situation to this new future reality.

Everyone was given a pad of Post-it Notes and wrote down the key steps.

They then stuck the key steps on the wall and arranged them into chronological order.

Finally, they looked at their first key step and chunked it down until there was 100% certainty across the team that the first action would be completed within 24 hours.

At the end of the process the whole team was working together as one and had found a way forward.

The entire process had taken less than 30 minutes, half the time their previous meeting had taken.

And within two weeks, the problem that had stopped the business moving forward for over a month, no longer existed in the business.

The key thing is the steps took them towards their desired outcome, not away from it.

Because if you focus on your desired outcome, rather simply moving away from the problem, the direction will become obvious.

Let us know how you get on and we’ll see you next week.

Paul & Philly

Whenever you’re ready, there are two ways we can help you:

1. Discover how to create a life and business you truly love with your copy of “Backwards Planning - A Simple Method to Move You and Your Business Forward” from Amazon.

2. To work with us through the entire “Backwards Planning” process outlined in the book, you can apply to join The Clear Focus Business Academy.

The first step is to book a facilitated Life Vision Session which we conduct one to one over Zoom. This session will not only give you clarity on what you want from your life but will give you the opportunity to experience how we work and ensure we're a good fit for each other before deciding whether The Clear Focus Business Academy is right for you. It comes with a 100% money back guarantee, so if you're not entirely satisfied, simply let us know at the end of the session and we'll issue a full refund.