We all have them. Something happens that’s not planned, we call it a problem. Anything that’s out of the ordinary and we don’t instantly know what to do, it’s a problem.
The word itself, has a negative connotation. As soon as someone says, “I have a problem,” we instantly think something’s wrong and we can’t find a solution right away. Then it messes up our day. We have to bring in the army, so to speak, before anyone can find the answer. Most of the time, you really don’t need the army, so to speak, to solve the problem if you looked at it in a different way.
When I was a young Goalden Girl, someone gave me a different perspective on problems. “Goalden Girl,” they said, “it’s never a problem, but always a challenge.” That changed how I saw problems forever.
A problem sounds like something that can’t be fixed – something that will only give you more trouble if you don’t solve it right. This causes your mind to go into the dumps, as if it has to come up with the impossible solution.
A challenge sounds like a productive dare. Anyone who takes on a dare automatically starts to think, “I can do this – they won’t have the last laugh, not if I can help it!” It forces you to level up and gives you a ‘whatever it takes’ attitude.
The next time you have a team meeting, try it. Instead of saying, “we have a problem,” tell them, “here’s the challenge…” and see how much open their response is. Having a problem brings everyone’s morality down, but a challenge allows everyone to rise to the occasion and to become more productive in finding the answer.
Since that moment, I have never used the word ‘problem’ again (except to explain how I don’t use it anymore). When I began to use the word ‘challenge’ in it’s place, everything changed and things became possible. My perspective of that word was always negative, as if something huge had to happen before I could move on or I needed someone’s help. When I saw it as a challenge, my mind automatically goes into solving mode. It allows me to assess the situation and create a solution. Furthermore, it allows me to move on.
This is what it does for me and the outcome has been amazing. As silly as it may sound, the simple act of replacing a word with a better word, has worked wonders for my ability to solve things on my own. Words are powerful.
The moral of the story is, you can solve any problem, as long as you call it a challenge.