Life isn’t as predictable as we would like it to be. There will always be curveballs thrown your way, and they have the power to lower your mood and success if you let them, as Michael Patrick of The Property Advocates explains.
While preventing all challenges is impossible, you can adopt a solution-based mindset to help you deal with them more effectively. After all, how you handle the difficulties that come your way determines how successful you are at tackling them.
Here are some reasons why a solution-based mindset works and ways you can adopt one.
It Helps Define the Fix
When a challenge comes your way, the ultimate goal should always be to solve that challenge, to fix what’s wrong. What the actual solution is, though, is not always crystal clear.
If you focus on the problem rather than the solution, the waters can become even muddier than they already are. Adopting a solution-based mindset helps you to focus on what needs to be done to overcome the challenges by clearly defining what solution you’re looking for.
“When people asked me, ‘Hey, is this a good idea? or I think we should try this.’ My first question is, ‘What is the problem you’re trying to solve?’ because I can’t give you my opinion unless I know what you’re trying to accomplish,” Michael Patrick, the COO and managing attorney of The Property Advocates, says. “What is the solution you’re looking for?”
It Creates a Roadmap
By defining the fix, a solution-based mindset will also help you create a roadmap for how to actually accomplish the fix. Once you have defined the end game of where you want to go, you can work backward to figure out how to get there.
“That is for me. I do it at home and at the office. I do it in all aspects of life. I try to focus on what the result is going to be and what the solution to the problem is, and then I worked backward from there,” Michael Patrick says.
If all you’re doing is focusing on the problems that got you into this situation, or the failures you’ve endured to this point trying to fix it, it’ll be very hard to find your way out.
“It’s similar to doing one of those mazes,” Michael Patrick of The Property Advocates explains. “You start at the finish line and work your way backward to start. So that’s how I approach everything.”
It Engenders Positive, Hopeful Feelings
One of the biggest benefits of adopting a solution-based mindset is that it engenders positive, hopeful feelings. When you are focused on what’s in front of you — the fix — rather than what’s behind you or currently in front of you — the challenge or failure — you’re more likely to have positive thoughts.
Focusing on what you have to overcome, on the other hand, can drag you down. It can make you feel defeated, deflated, and depressed.
One of the keys to solving any problem is to remain positive and hopeful that you can actually get it done. Otherwise, you won’t be able to put in your best effort, or you may just give up altogether.
About Michael Patrick
As an attorney, passionate problem-solver, and The Property Advocates’ COO, Michael Patrick uses his legal background to solve complex issues and attain the best solutions with the least risk. Michael enjoys mentoring clients through challenges and leading them toward the best outcomes. Michael earned his Juris Doctorate from Barry University School of Law and enjoys spending weekends with his wife, Miranda, and three children, Aiden, AnnaBelle, and Ava.
