Stop Worrying and Start Problem Solving

Worry is one of the least productive uses we can make of our minds. It’s also one of the least pleasant. I know this because I’ve struggled with worry throughout my life.

Of course, this doesn’t imply we never have good reasons to be concerned. We all face real problems at work, home, with our health, and with the people we care about. But concern and worry are not the same thing.

Concern can move us toward action. Worry usually leaves us standing still.

Specifically, when we worry, we replay the same scenario. We imagine everything that could go wrong. We ask questions like, “What if this happens?” or “What if that doesn’t work?” Before long, we’ve spent tons of mental energy without getting any closer to a solution.

The good news is there’s a better way.

Move Your Attention Toward the Solution

One of the best ways to worry less is by moving our attention away from the worry itself and toward a specific problem we can attempt to solve.

This distinction matters. When we worry, our thoughts tend to circle around fear, uncertainty, and worst-case scenarios. When we solve problems, we work to deeply understand the current condition, identify obstacles, and plan and execute experiments to see what we learn.

The same basic approach can help us with many of life’s difficult problems.

The trick to stopping worry is not pretending the problem doesn’t exist. Instead, it’s solving the problem you’re worried about to the best of your ability.

Notice those last few words: to the best of your ability.

We can’t control every outcome. We can’t eliminate all uncertainty. And some situations are far more serious and complex than others. But in most cases, there’s still something constructive we can do. Once we identify that next step and begin moving, worry often starts to lose its grip.

Start With a More Resourceful State of Mind

With this said, it’s difficult to solve a problem when our minds and bodies are in a state of high stress. When we’re tense, frustrated, or afraid, our thinking can become narrow. We may miss things that would be easier to see if we slowed down.

So, before tackling a difficult problem, take a moment to reset.

Step away from the situation if you can. Take a short walk. Sit quietly. Breathe slowly. Write down what’s on your mind. If you’re a person of faith, pray. The specific method is less important than creating enough space to think clearly.

Now, to be clear, this is not avoidance. Instead, it’s preparation for action.

Once you’re calmer, the quality of the questions you ask becomes very important. Better questions direct the mind toward possibilities, choices, and action. Poor questions keep us stuck.

Here are six questions that can help.

The Six Problem-Solving Questions

1. What are three positive things about this problem?

This may feel like a strange place to begin, especially when the problem is painful or frustrating. But the purpose is not to deny reality or force false optimism…it’s to widen your field of view.

Perhaps the problem has exposed a weakness before it became worse. Maybe it’s created an opportunity to learn, improve a relationship, simplify a process, or ask for help. Finding three positive things can shift us from feeling powerless to becoming more resourceful.

2. What’s not yet the way you want it?

The word yet is powerful. It acknowledges the current condition without treating it as permanent.

Be specific. “Everything is a mess” is difficult to solve. “Customer response time is averaging five days, and we want it below two days” gives us something we can work with. Perhaps also add a measure of dispersion…but I’m being nitpicky!

In other words, define the gap between where you are and where you want to be.

3. What are you willing to do to get the result you want?

Solutions require action. This question helps us identify what we’re prepared to contribute.

Are you willing to have a difficult conversation? Ask for feedback? Gather more facts? Learn a new skill? Run a small experiment? Change your schedule? Seek help from someone with more experience?

4. What are you willing to stop doing to get the result you want?

Improvement isn’t always about adding more. Sometimes the breakthrough comes from stopping something that’s no longer helping.

You may need to stop delaying a decision, blaming others, revisiting old mistakes, checking the same information repeatedly, or continuing a habit that makes the problem worse.

As Lean thinkers, we understand the importance of eliminating waste. The same idea applies to our habits and thought patterns.

5. How can you motivate yourself, and even take pleasure in doing what needs to be done, to get the result you want?

Knowing what to do and doing it are two different things.

Look for ways to make the necessary action easier or more meaningful. Break it into smaller steps. Ask someone to hold you accountable. Connect the task to a person or purpose you care about. Recognize progress instead of waiting until the entire problem is solved.

The work may still be difficult, but difficult work can be deeply satisfying when we understand why it matters.

6. What’s something you can do today to get things moving in the right direction?

This may be the most important question of all.

Not next month. Not when conditions are perfect. Today.

The action doesn’t need to be dramatic. Make the phone call. Schedule the meeting. Gather the data. Write the first paragraph. Ask one person for advice. Run one small test.

Small steps create momentum, and momentum changes how a problem feels.

From Worry to Action

So, in summary, the next time you catch yourself worrying, pause and ask: “Am I thinking in circles, or am I moving toward a solution?”

If you’re stuck in a loop, relax your mind and work through these six questions. Write down your answers if possible. Then choose one action you can take today.

You may not solve the entire problem immediately. You may discover that part of the situation is outside your control. But you will have replaced unproductive worry with clear thinking and constructive action.

And that’s precisely where improvement begins… not with having every answer, but with asking a better question and taking the next step to see what we learn.

So, what’s one thing you can do today to get moving in the right direction?

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