Life is filled with challenges, both professional and personal. Every day, we encounter obstacles, and we have a choice: ignore them or confront them. Choose the latter. Do not shy away from challenges, as they are the very things that help you grow and become a better person. Without challenges, you wouldn’t be where you are today. Think of a baby trying to walk for the first time. Taking those initial steps is difficult. Does the baby give up and decide to crawl for the rest of their life? No! They try again and again until they succeed. They face the challenge head-on.
Once you decide to confront a challenge, it’s crucial to have a plan. Analyze the challenge from all angles to understand how to overcome it. Why is it a challenge for you? What is the gap between where you are now and where you want to be? How can you prevent this from being a challenge in the future? Success in overcoming challenges requires specific skills, namely problem-solving and critical thinking. These skills take time to develop but are essential for overcoming obstacles. They enable you to reflect, learn from your mistakes, and find solutions.
You have the skills, but you also need a method to identify the gaps. A useful technique for understanding the gap between your current situation and overcoming your challenges is the “Five Whys.” This method, originated by Toyota Motor Corporation, aims to find the root cause of a problem by repeatedly asking “Why?” five times.
For example, if you have a fear of public speaking, your answers to the statement “I am anxious and stressed before a presentation” could be:
- Why? – I don’t do them often.
- Why? – I don’t seek any opportunities.
- Why? – I don’t want to make a fool of myself.
- Why would I make a fool of myself? – I am not prepared.
- Why am I not prepared? – I keep thinking about how things can go wrong.
In this example, the root cause isn’t the infrequency of presentations but rather the focus on potential failures. Instead of concentrating on the material, presentation skills, and practice, the individual is preoccupied with what could go wrong.
By answering the five whys, you can uncover the deeper issue. This allows you to address the root cause rather than just the surface-level challenge. Once you identify the root problem, formulating effective solutions and preventing future issues becomes much easier.
Challenges are a constant part of life. You can choose to ignore them or work through them. The choice is yours. However, tackling them head-on will make you stronger and more resilient for future challenges. I can guarantee another challenge will come. Face them and use the five whys to get to the root of the problem. With those answers, a solution becomes inevitable.
Take care.