Feel lost in your problems?

There isn’t enough _.

I haven’t done _ yet.

I don’t know how to do _.

I did _ wrong.

I could have_ .

I should have_.

I’m so overwhelmed.

I’m stuck in overthinking.

etc.

Do any of the above feel familiar?

It is so easy to go through life and see all the problems.

To be fair, we each face problems on the regular. But when we choose to focus solely on the problems, this can quickly spiral into negative self-talk and limit our ability to live life fully.

What if you could train your brain to see problems as a space for possibilities?

3 Tools to help you Reframe:

1. Acceptance - Shit will happen

• When planning and visualizing your day/weeks/life, it’s important not to imagine only sunshine and rainbows. Shit has happened, it will happen again.

• One helpful perspective here is common humanity. You are not the only one. Having problems and struggling with difficult emotions is a universal human experience. You are not alone. You can work through hard things.

2. Get Objective

• If you get a flat tire, you could think, I’m going to be late- this will cost me money, my boss will be upset I'm late, and quickly make up a dark and gloomy picture. Instead, what if you simply stated, "I have a flat tire.”

• In another example, you get rejected. You could tell yourself a story about how you’re not good enough and spiral on all the possible things you could have done or how this will affect your future. I would instead invite you to ask. What’s the worst thing that can happen here? Is the sky falling? Is a bear really chasing me? What are the literal negative consequences this problem has? In this case, a consequence is that one human out of 8 billion does not want to work with me.

3. Find the Possibility!

What could this problem inspire you to do?

• Was someone rude or unethical? → Get inspired to speak up for yourself or for someone who needs you!

• Have a setback in a project → Get inspired to redesign a process to make it more efficient.

• You were rude and feel like shit about it? Get inspired to build your communication skills and make a repair.

• Feeling lonely? Get inspired to reach out to an old friend or join a new club!

• Grouchy? Get inspired to get outside and move!

What knowledge could you gain from this?

• Got rejected for a job → Ask for feedback, reflect, and learn what you could do better for your next interview.

• Overwhelmed → Reflect on where your energy is going; what self-awareness and learning can you gain to set better boundaries in the future?

What mental muscle can you grow?

• Empathy- Someone is rude → Practice giving empathy

• Innovate- Feel like there are zero possible solutions→ Practice brainstorming and innovating

• Navigate - Avoiding an important task? → Imagine your Monday morning future self; how will they feel if you get this done today?

• Explore- Feeling crappy but not sure what's at the core? → Get curious and explore your emotions. What are they telling you?

What problems can you convert into possibilities?

CHALLENGE:

Write your top 3 problems,

go through the above prompts, and find at least 1 new way to reframe the story you’re telling yourself.

Want support in learning to convert problems into possibilities?

Book a Clarity Call (free coaching consultation) today!