I assume (NEVER ASSUME) you have heard the story of teaching a man to fish rather than feeding him for a day. The more we teach others to do something and the more willing we are to learn from others, the more independent and successful we become.
So, why do we often just ask for the answer and not for the toolbox?
Do This Instead
We will delve into the mindset we have come to and how to get out of it in a second, but what I want you to do is take the following simple action to get us going right now.
- Grab a piece of paper and pen.
- At the top, write down one significant dilemma you find yourself in right now.
- Below the dilemma, write down 10 ways you can solve that dilemma.
- Below those 10 ways, write down 5 people you think may help you resolve this dilemma via a teaching (NOT giving you the answer).
As with most of the posts here at Life Excursion, you need to do these action steps. No point in reading this site if you aren’t doing anything to change your predicament.
The Answer | Why It’s (Practically) Useless
Don’t get me wrong. There are applicable times when getting the answer instead of learning how is the best bet. But you don’t read Life Excursion for those times. You are here to learn how to identify when you should be taking action.
Problem: You just want the answer too often. Getting the answer is a lot easier than learning how to find the answer in the future. Yes, it takes more time, but when you are capable of solving a problem on your own, you realize how much power and control you have over your predicament. When you rely on others for answers, you are incapable of accomplishing individual goals, thus leading to disappointment.
Solution: If there is something you want to be great at, ask 5 people in that professional field to help you learn that skill. You don’t know everything. I know it’s hard to believe, but definitely true. You probably already knew that which is why you were asking for an answer from someone else to resolve your dilemma. With that said, your approach may be wrong. Ask 5 people to help you learn how to resolve your dilemma instead of solving it for you. I know it is counter-intuitive to productivity, but absolutely necessary to your personal development in freeing yourself from the dependency on others.
The Toolbox | What Are You Adding to It
“I just need this one tool to finish this job, but I don’t have it.”
Been there? I am there all the time.
The real question is – - – What Do You Do About It
Your toolbox needs to be overflowing with all the skills you have decided to learn rather than just getting the “job” (aka answer) done by others. If you have not added a new tool to solve a dilemma to your toolbox in the past 3 days, you are being lazy. There is a learning opportunity everyday of your life and if you can’t notice that, you better be able to notice that you have a learning opportunity at least every few days. If you aren’t taking this opportunity to learn, then you are not adding to that toolbox for that just-in-case moment when all you need is that specific tool.
Problem: You don’t know what sources are the best for solving your dilemma. You are unsure of who would be able to help best solve your dilemma, but have little to any knowledge on the dilemma.
Solution: Test 5 different sources as to assisting in resolving your dilemma. This may surprise you, but there is no right or wrong way to solve a dilemma. However, there are better ways to do things and it is up to you to test as many applications as possible until you narrow down the best approach for you. Don’t worry if one source doesn’t help. It may be a tool you use down the road so accept the learning experience and apply accordingly.
The toolbox you put together will help you solve most of your problems. The key is always looking for new ways to be adding to it.
One Last Note
There’s one key aspect I want to note before letting you go accomplishing the world. Just because you have learned the skill and could resolve the dilemma or find the answer yourself, that doesn’t mean you should.
I have found outsourcing to be extremely beneficial to my productivity. If I know how to solve a problem, but it would take a significant chunk of my time to resolve, I may outsource the issue to someone else (at a financial cost) so that I can move on to creative aspects and learning opportunities that are far more worth my time.
The reason I state this is because knowing how is far more important than actually finding the answer. If you have the skills to find the answer, you can always come back and solve the problem. If your time is more valuable in other areas, than do whatever possible to pass this learning experience on to others.
Final Word
You will learn a lot in life. You will learn more if you take the proactive steps to add to your toolbox.
Your goals will only be accomplished through educating yourself on how to accomplish them.
Never stop learning and you WILL accomplish anything.
Schucks...This one is super unique. No similar posts.
