If a miracle solved your biggest problem, what would you be doing differently?

Sunday, February 11th, 2024

One of the resources from last week’s reflection reminded us that we all have a 'sad story,' regardless of our background or walk of life. It was not meant to downplay the fact that some of us face greater challenges than others, but rather a reminder that, no matter what we see on the outside, no one’s life is perfect. When I was in college, a wealthy mentor reminded me that all men put on their pants in the same way: one leg followed by the other.?

Growing up poor, I was intimidated by wealthy people. The pants categorization humanized the affluent for me in a way that didn’t make me feel like the 'other.' Today, I know that everyone struggles and has their own problems to deal with. Instead of ignoring this reality, I believe it's a perfectly constructive way to address the thoughts lingering in the back of our minds. Consider this permission to follow Einstein’s wisdom: 'If I had an hour to solve a problem, I'd spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions.' Remember, everything is figureoutable - when we have the right problem.

Below, I offer some recommended resources to assist us with the question of the week. I’ll post my reflection before the end of the week on YouTube.?

Resources to Complement Our Reflection

[Internalize]: Sometimes people are stuck in the past and unable to make changes in the present, which leads to difficulty creating a different future. Why? Because we use the same techniques or strategies for all of life's problems - mainly because they worked in the past. "If all you have is a hammer, then everything looks like a nail."

[Apply]: Reflect on a problem using the full framework: What would your life look like if a miracle occurred? What exactly do you want for yourself? What would you change about your life? If it were just the way you wanted it to be, how would it be different from what it is today?

Read: The Miracle Question That Can Change Your Future - 3 mins. - Kristin Davin

[Internalize]: All of your problems will have a first name and a last name. Have a conversation with AI. When you’re having a conversation with AI, it takes the emotion out of it. Don’t think too hard about the problems. Usually it’s the one that is keeping you up at night.?

[Apply]: Articulate a problem you have with an AI tool (ChatGPT, Bard, etc.) and ask it to articulate some solutions. If you don’t get enough, ask it to give you some more solutions (repeat until you’re satisfied). Ask the tool to summarize the solutions.

Listen: Solving Your Biggest Problem - 11 mins. - The Mental Toughness & Body Show

[Internalize]: There are four ways to solve big problems: 1) Step Back 2) Reframe 3) Simplify 4) Substitute.?

[Apply]: Approach one of your big problems through one of the four problem solving techniques.?

Watch: 4 ways to solve big problems - 1 min - David Burkus

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Last Week’s Reflection

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The Learning Loop is a free weekly newsletter designed to help subscribers learn on purpose. Each week subscribers receive one thoughtfully curated, timely question with a brief explanation behind why it's important and a couple of relevant resources to help subscribers with their learning journey.

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