What Hollywood Movies Can Teach Us About Problem Solving...

Have you noticed that every movie uses the exact same formula:

1) We meet the hero

2) The hero faces a problem

3) The hero overcomes the problem

Almost every single film has the exact same basic structure.

Why do you think after so many generations no one's bored of it yet? It's because to achieve anything we need to overcome adversity.

Jordan Peterson is famous for identifying archetypes in films and understanding why they are so heavily embraced by us. From Pinocchio to Harry Potter, these famous stories are so powerful because the messages align with our human nature - the same goes for this film structure.

So many people see problems as blocks. A reason they can't do something. But the successful have an entirely different point of view.

Successful people LOVE problems. It means they can use their creativity to find a way out. And every time they overcome a new obstacle, their problem-solving muscle improves.

It doesn't matter what the problem is. It could be that your child broke an expensive ornament at school, or that your ill mother has ran out of cash. Successful people embrace problems head on and use them as opportunities to better themselves.

Next time you face a problem, try to re-align your brain to enjoy working out the different options to solve it. You'll find you spend less time panicking and more time thinking productively. Less time reactive and more time proactive.

Anyway, a book recommendation fits perfectly with this weeks newsletter: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. A statement that has since completely changed how I approach problems came from that book: it's not the size of the problem but the size of the person.

If you bear that in mind, no problem will be too big.