Hard problems

We all run into hard problems now and then.

• Trying to get my board to approve this new project, but it doesn't look promising.

• Trying to get my CRM to do things in this particular way, but I can't figure it out.

• Trying to arrange my budget to allocate resources for this new program, but I can't cut from anywhere else.

It's no fun, right? We've all been there, and we’ll probably all be there again at some point.

So what can you do about it?

Here are two options:

1. Give up on it and move on. This is nobody's first option, but when it's your only option you have to take it. There are other things worth fighting for.

2. Mentally zoom out, remember why you wanted that thing in the first place, and find another way to get it.

• Can't get board approval for your project? What was the project for? How else can you work toward that goal?

• Can't get your CRM to do exactly what you want? What valuable outcome were you trying to achieve? How else could you achieve that outcome?

• Can't reorganize your budget to fund a new program? Who needs that program and why? How else can you help these people get what they need?

Here's the thing:

Our day-to-day life is full of actions. Actions are how we get things done.

But the action itself is almost never the point. It's always in pursuit of some valuable outcome.

When one plan of action starts to seem impossible, it doesn't mean the outcome is impossible. Don’t get attached to the actions. Stay attached to the outcome.

The actions don't matter. The outcome does.

All the best,
A.