Reframe your problems
Everyone has problems, and every day you’re probably going to have more problems. In fact your whole life you’ll have problems. When you start your career or business, it multiplies the number of issues you’ll have, or as some people call them headaches. But obstacles don’t have to be seen as problems; they can be seen as opportunities.
First, reframe or rethink the same problem, so it’s something beneficial rather than something causing you harm. Instead of focusing on the question or problem, think around it and brainstorm for solutions from different angles, making other solutions visible. The better you get at this strategy, the better you’ll be able to uncover opportunities.
The second step is considering all options, even the ones you think are bad ideas. Considering all options will help open you up to alternatives and sometimes you can find the best ideas buried in the bad ones.
In the third step, consider all of your assumptions and trial solutions based on your premises. Sometimes it’s your assumptions that are limiting your thinking and preventing you from solving the problems at hand.
The fourth step, try to come up with solutions that are a win-win and where everyone will be happy. Instead of just thinking about yourself, think about how you can resolve the problems so both parties can be satisfied. Sometimes a few simple tweaks to a reasonable solution can render a win for all parties involved. In some cases, it may even multiply the benefits for you.
For example, I had a tenant moving out of a house, and she was upset about having to clean the house and repaint the walls that she had soiled. She was a good tenant and I didn't want her to leave upset and possibly causing more problems down the line. I was thinking about solutions and noticed that the girl had very few items left in the house and was sleeping on an inflatable mattress. It appeared as if she might have already moved somewhere and was paying for overlapping tenancies.
So I made her an offer to return the house before the end of the month, and I would assume the responsibility to clean and repaint. Because she works very long hours, she was very grateful, agreed to return the house ten days earlier, and thanked me for helping her out. She was going to save a lot of time and money. I was able to rent the house ten days earlier, which worked out to another $1,200 in rent, and the cleaning and painting would cost me $200. Everyone came out winning, I made an extra $1,000, the tenant didn't have to clean or paint, and the new tenants who desperately needed a place to stay now had a home.
Stay calm, think about solutions, and reframe problems till you find solutions that are enormously beneficial to everyone involved.
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