Reactive vs proactive problem solving
Using problems to spark energy and growth.
We grow the most when there’s a problem to fix or something we’re trying to solve. Having the problem means we seek learning, and guidance, actively looking to solve the issue so it goes away. I think the key to continuous growth is in applying this same level of problem solving when there’s actually no immediate problem or issue to solve. Let me explain.
I think there are two types of problems - reactive, and proactive.
Reactive problems are focused on getting the problem to go away, while proactive problems are centred around growth and progression.
Most phases in life it seems like our plate is completely full with reactive problems, so we feel like we don’t have time to work on our proactive problems. When we have time between reactive problems we feel like we need to rest to regain energy, yet I’ve got a theory that reactive problems drain us, while working on proactive problems actually gives us energy.
It feels like there will never be an end to reactive problems, which means we use all our energy looking to solve them, and then we never really feel like we’ve had enough rest and are ready to tackle new problems. When we’re reactive it feels like each day we deplete our energy more and more, and then on weekends we just manage to coast through maintaining energy but not really building it. No wonder we’re burned out, tired, and uninspired.
I think we need proactive problems to regain our energy. The boost in energy we get from proactive problems comes from reconnecting with our intuition, listening to ourselves, and acting on what we hear. Our proactive problems are aligned with the path we want to take in life, our own path, rather than with the path others want us to take, and so they re-fuel us in a number of ways.
It’s almost like we have to think about inverting our usual mode of operating which prioritises the ‘have to’ list, before the ‘want to’ list. What would happen if we started each day working on pro-active problem-solving rather than reactive problem-solving?
What if we:
Focussed on our fitness when we weren’t unfit
Actively pursued understanding our brain when we weren’t having a mental breakdown
Engaged in learning about business when our business is actually going well
The trick here is that even though they’re proactive, they’re still problems, and like all problems they create work and require us to get outside our comfort zones. Since our brains have been somewhat conditioned to resent work, they may try to avoid them, so we need to apply some self-awareness of the particular pattern our brain employs to discourage us from doing pro-active problem-solving.
Start small and tackle little proactive problems daily, ideally first up. This is something I’m experiencing with, and I’m excited to see what flow on effects come from these small shifts.