Scenario 1: it’s 7am. You have an hour drive. You need to be on time for practice. You realize your bag is in your friend’s car. No time to retrieve it. Nobody is awake. Your team is expecting you.
Do you panic?
Do you curl up in a ball and cry?
Do you go back to sleep and say fuck it?
Do you expect somebody to resolve the conflict for you?
None of these options actually solve the problem. They just allow for self pity and postponement of the let down.
Scenario 2: It’s Sunday. You have the house to yourself. Football is on the TV. You have a chores list to do. You need to meal prep for the week and do the laundry. You might even need to pay some bills or do some paperwork.
Do you lounge around all day?
Do you try to manage a little fun with your chores?
Do you do anything or just let the TV suck you in?
Do you expect others to pick up your slack when they return? What would you expect if your responsibility was to do the above? In today’s world many expect others to do for them. An entitlement of sorts.
What these folks don’t see is their inability to self motivate. The personal drive or push it takes when things are hard. Only a strong mind is capable of such. The weaker crumble.
Do you see yourself as capable of self motivation? How do you manage your mind?
Scenario 3: You have a softball game midweek (Wednesday).
You have a work product due Thursday.
You have a formal event Friday and a party Saturday. A full schedule except Monday and Tuesday. A busy week. No time for error.
Do you screw around Monday and Tuesday because nothing is on your schedule?
Do you not turn in work project because you stayed out too late at softball?
Do you lack the foresight to plan ahead?
Can you see consequences down the road for poor planning?
I can see all of the bad that can happen in the scenarios above. I can see the shit storm ahead of time. Some can’t. Some live for today and seriously lack foresight. Those same people tend to lack problem solving skills which create an irony.
I can avoid issues because I have foresight. I can also problem solve in a pinch. This seems to be both a blessing and a curse as some days I wish I had no accountability.
Those who struggle with foresight normally end up in sticky situations. A need for problem solving is right in front of them. It’s almost like a mountain of poop. A mountain one just stares at. Should I start scooping the poop? Can I even get to the end of the pile? Should I even try? If one can’t see the finish line it’s hard to muster up the courage and strength to push forward. The finish line is the reward. The triumph.
I just spring into action to resolve conflicts in my path. Those who struggle in this area hide or hit pause. They can’t leap forward without guidance or if they do move it’s normally in the wrong direction.
Is this genetics?
Is it laziness?
Is it the person has been spoiled and lacks independence?
I see the lack of foresight on the home front, the work front, the consulting front. It’s never ending. I often think of the root issues but in the end I just move on because one can never change another but one can lead by example.
I always hope my lead inspires others. Maybe not everyone but some. For today I end this thought post with one word: goals.
I’ve never met a person with a goal of being lazy.
I’ve never met a person who who had a goal to intentionally let others down.
For those reasons I say some may need help with problem solving. If you have the skill set to help others see the finish line, show them the way. They might need to feel that success to move past the fear of rejection, failure, disappointment or whatever is stopping one from seeing the bright light of the finish line.
Remember a goal for this post is to help others get to their finish line. Help another solve their insoluble problem.
2 Chicks and a blog 