Managing emotion through problem-solving daily can lead to remarkable changes in perceiving challenges, making decisions, and achieving our goals. Whether improving our mental and emotional well-being, fostering creativity and adaptability, or nurturing deeper connections with others, managing problems daily is the key to unlocking a more empowered and fulfilling life.
Empower Your Journey: Discovering the Life-Changing Effects of Daily Problem-Solving
We probably don't realize it, but we all problem-solve constantly every day.
Embracing daily problem-solving can have a transformative impact on our lives. Life is a journey filled with challenges, big and small, and how we navigate these hurdles can shape the course of our existence. Often, the seemingly insignificant actions we take each day create the most significant changes in our lives.
We often fix a problem with a band-aid to manage a moment, but what if we took the time to look at the big picture at the end of the day? We could problem-solve the em, giving our brain time to process what would prevent a repeat.
Think about it…
We make numerous decisions daily; these are all forms of problem-solving in one way or another! Naturally, when faced with a challenge, we tend to want to solve it as quickly as possible. Usually, our quick skills fix that momentary issue, and we move on.
But What About Problem-Solving And The BIG Picture?
Most of us recognize that many decisions and situations can't be fixed in the blink of an eye. So we need to think of ways to improve these skills on a grander scale.
Once we manage more significant or higher stake problems, we can help prevent some of those challenges from reoccurring, or we can at least allow ourselves the appropriate time needed to make a critical decision instead of rushing to find a quick fix.
Four Things To Remember About The Power Of Daily Problem-Solving:
#1 Set Aside Time For Problem-Solving Every Day
One of the critical self-management strategies I teach is to 'set aside time in your day for problem-solving.' Some issues can be challenging and require more time than others to be resolved. Understandably, some must take priority and be solved immediately. But many items can be detained for a more convenient time in the day.
Developing a plan to manage problems is a win-win situation for all parties involved.
We must take the time to clear our minds and focus on the situation and ONLY that situation. We know how important it is to manage our emotions when making decisions: we're at our very best when we don't allow our feelings to guide our choices. When we set aside time to focus on problem-solving without emotions clouding the issue, our skills and emotional intelligence improve.
#2 Process Your Emotions Throughout The Day
From the moment we awake until we close our eyes at the end of the day, we experience thousands of emotions, some we aren't even aware of. A big part of our day is moving through these feelings and emotions.
Sometimes we make decisions without appropriate planning due to our busy schedules and emerging emotions. When this happens continually, it can negatively affect the quality of our work and impact future opportunities.
Our daily accomplishments and success can be mainly contingent upon how we work through the various daily challenges. Without question, how we process and manage our emotions benefits how we work through problems.
#3 Managers Highly Value Problem-Solving Team Members
Using your emotional intelligence to manage your emotions, understand the feelings of others, and find a successful approach to resolving issues will open the door to personal and professional success.
When you struggle to work through issues that arise efficiently and effectively, add them to your list for your daily scheduled time to problem-solve.
Making time to build these skills will make you a more valuable team member. Once you get into the habit of planning this way, you'll save time and be far more effective at making decisions. With this practice, you won't allow problems to derail you continuously during your busy day. This type of compartmentalizing helps you stay focused and be productive — and it will be noticed by your managers, too!
#4 Make A Plan To Problem-Solve
Moving forward, plan to set aside at least 15 minutes in your daily schedule to focus on problem-solving.
Keep a list of items you need to review each day, and check them off as you work through them during your scheduled planning time.
Once you set the time in your calendar to problem-solve, you also need to do the following:
- Turn off your cell phone.
- Walk away from your computer.
- Find a spot where you won't be disturbed.
Ensure that you have a quiet area free of disruptions. That way, you can focus on the problems objectively without emotion affecting mindful planning and clear thinking.
Of course, as you develop your daily problem-solving routine, you'll need to use your wealth of skills to work through the problems. But it's much easier when you are in a positive mindset, and that's all part of learning to manage your emotions.
Would you like one-on-one guidance with problem-solving skills, but other self-development, team building, employee relationships, and much more? Click here. Did you like this post? If you'd like to see more like this, have a look at these articles:
Managing Your Emotions, Will Make You More Successful
How to Use Your Emotions to Make Rational Decisions
6 Easy Ways to Eliminate Obstacles & Change Your Life
This article was originally published on November 26, 2016, and has been updated (August 2023).
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