Making Molehills Out of Mountains

We're all familiar with the idea of making a big problem out of little ones and the effect that has on our behavior. I feel that we tend to get frustrated and confused because we have placed added pressure on ourselves for some irrational, or possibly unidentifiable, reason. This may lead to the failure to achieve success in tasks and may discourage individuals from further pursuit. Does the reverse work?

I have found that when people are working on a project that doesn't meet that "urgent" need which exists within them, concentration begins to weaken. Where bigger problems create stress, small problems hardly get noticed. Over-simplification of the problem leads to lack-luster solutions which may, at best, be only short-term, or "band-aid", solutions. As groups coordinate, someone who is unable to connect with the importance of an issue will not be able to be truly effective.

So what's the point that I'm trying to make?

Both of these mindsets about problems are wrong. They focus on the individual perspective and their perceptions. To better explain myself, I'm going to use the analogy of a mountain.

First, someone who is standing at the base of a cliff will feel daunted by the task at hand, much like the first person I described by making the problem harder than it really needs to be. Also, someone who is standing too far away from the mountain will hardly think that it would take much effort to climb as the mountain seems much smaller than it actually is. These all have to do with our perspective, not the project. What I'm talking about is problem solving.

The issue then is adjusting your perspective. Many of us are like the first person who is right next to the mountain, committed to a project that needs to be done but no real plans to accomplish that goal. Though we shouldn't run away, we should take a step back and really look at the project. The real height of the project won't change, but we are able to see its structure.

When we are solving our problems, we shouldn't seek to take the steepest route. No matter how high the climb, taking the steepest route will require the most amount of stress and increases the chances that you might slip-up. Normally, there are unexplored routes which are much easier and you still reach the same position.

Time is a necessary component to consider. The sooner you need to get to where you need to be, the harder it will be to look for that shallow route and you'll look at the mountain wonder where to even begin. If you're here, there doesn't seem to be many options besides trying to make a quick plan of what you are going to do and hope that the best one works. What I am talking about is having sufficient time in the planning stage to be able to explore additional methods and truly look at how things are coming together. It might take longer than a quick sprint up the mountain, but you have much less risk of falling along the way.