Why don’t small problems stay small? Could resolving problems when they’re minor be the key to achieving your goals?
Tackling small issues can prevent larger challenges and boost your confidence. This approach is particularly effective during overwhelming times, helping you regain control and make progress. By integrating problem-solving into your daily routine, you can identify and address small problems before they escalate.
Read on to discover three practical exercises that will help you master the art of resolving small problems and pave the way for big life improvements.
Resolving Small Problems
Now that we’ve explored how to identify, prepare for, and initiate small actions, let’s move on to another strategy for implementing change: Resolve small problems. According to Maurer, tackling minor issues as they arise supports your efforts to implement change in two key ways:
- First, it prevents small problems from escalating into larger, more daunting challenges—for example, addressing minor accounting errors in your business can avert penalties during tax audits.
- Second, with every minor issue you successfully handle, your confidence grows, and this prepares you to handle more significant challenges. For example, addressing a minor disagreement with a friend can boost your confidence to handle major disputes in the future.
(Shortform note: In addition to preventing issues from escalating and improving your problem-solving skills, resolving minor issues can also make you happier. In The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, Mark Manson argues that solving problems is intrinsically satisfying and improves your life. Instead of trying to live a life without problems, Manson contends that you should focus on only solving good problems—ones that have a clear solution and that will noticeably improve your life.)
Tackling minor issues is particularly effective when you’re in the midst of a crisis and feel overwhelmed. Whether you’re suffering from an illness, dealing with a loss of income, or going through a breakup, you often can’t rectify the situation with a single, swift action. But, if you focus on resolving minor problems during the crisis, you’ll gain a sense of control and start progressing slowly toward a solution. For example, if you’re feeling overwhelmed by debt, paying off your smallest bill will provide an immediate sense of accomplishment that may motivate you to tackle the next bill, and the next, until you clear all your debts.
(Shortform note: Stephen Covey (The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People) suggests a practical way to regain a sense of control when in the midst of a crisis: Think about what steps you can personally take toward solving it. Distinguishing between problems that are beyond your control (like rising interest rates) and issues you can improve or solve (like deciding which bill you’ll pay off first) prevents unnecessary stress that contributes to feelings of powerlessness or overwhelm.)
Integrate Problem-Solving Into Your Routine
Maurer recommends three exercises for identifying and addressing minor issues in daily life:
1) Reflect on past difficulties. This will help you detect and respond to current issues that might hint at future challenges. To reflect effectively, start by recalling a major challenge you faced. Then identify any small issues that forecasted the challenge and, based on those issues, consider any steps you could have taken to avert it. For example, if your business failed, one early warning sign might have been a slight increase in product returns. Adjusting your business strategy based on this feedback might have kept your business afloat.
(Shortform note: If you feel tempted to criticize yourself at any point during this step, remember that the goal isn’t to berate yourself for failing to address certain issues, but to increase your awareness of current issues that you can solve. Annie Duke (Thinking in Bets) suggests that you’re more likely to fall into the trap of self-recrimination when you’re under the influence of hindsight bias. This occurs when you know the outcome of a decision, and you’re prone to thinking it was obvious and that you should’ve predicted it. Remember that at the time, the outcome wasn’t clear. It’s only with hindsight that the outcome became clear.)
2) Identify minor mistakes: This will help you address your mistakes, which, in turn, will prevent larger problems from developing. To identify mistakes, think about a recent misstep you made. Consider whether this error indicates a broader problem or has the potential to become a larger issue if left unchecked. For example, perhaps you missed a work deadline, which might indicate bigger issues such as poor time management skills or procrastination habits.
| Use the “Five Whys” to Get to the Root of a Mistake In Principles: Life and Work, Ray Dalio suggests a way to assess whether a mistake indicates a deeper problem: Use the “five whys” technique to identify its root cause. This process involves progressively uncovering why each of the events that ultimately led to the mistake occurred. To use this technique, ask yourself why you made the mistake. Then, ask yourself why your answer occurred, and repeat the process three more times. For example, let’s say your minor mistake was missing a work deadline. First, ask why you missed the deadline—maybe it was because you underestimated the time needed for the project. Second, ask why you underestimated the time—it might have been because you didn’t anticipate complications in the project. Third, ask why you didn’t anticipate the complications—you might find it’s because you didn’t thoroughly assess the project requirements. Fourth, ask why you didn’t assess the requirements—it may be because you were overwhelmed with other tasks. Fifth, ask why you were overwhelmed—you might conclude that it was because you didn’t update your supervisor about your current workload. Ultimately, the root cause of your mistake was that you didn’t effectively communicate your workload to your supervisor, resulting in you taking on more work than you could handle. |
3) Pay attention to warning signs: This will help you anticipate and prevent future challenges. To do this, think of a small annoyance or concern. Consider if it’s an early indicator of a larger problem that you might be able to avoid. For example, during a first date, your partner might continuously interrupt you, indicating a lack of respect. You may decide not to go on a second date to avoid more significant relationship issues down the line.
(Shortform note: Chip and Dan Heath (Decisive) offer practical advice for assessing whether an irritation or concern is likely to cause future trouble: Take the 10/10/10 test. This involves asking yourself, “If I choose to put up with this, how will I feel about my decision 10 minutes, 10 months, and 10 years from now?” If you determine that you’ll feel positively at all three points in the future, then it’s probably not an issue you need to worry about.)
