The Good Problem
The Good Problem
We are so negative in our thinking that we see words like problem, challenges, regrets as bad things. When we hear “there is a problem,” the first thing that comes to mind is usually a negative evaluation of what could have gone wrong.
Recently, I had a chat with Adeyinka Micheal about a problem I was in and after describing the problem to him, he described it by saying, “That is a good problem you’ve got right here”
You see, not every problem is bad. Infact, problems are the basis for innovation and change that goes on to test your decision making and critical thinking ability.
On a lighter mode, imagine as a guy, you have to make an option between two ladies that are perfect for you. Like they both fit in to what you have always wanted in a partner.
Well, that is a very good problem because you seem to have not one potential perfect patner but two. You job is to do due diligence on which you will go for and why.
See another scenerio of having two job options to choose from. Both jobs are all you’ve ever dreamt of and now both are ready to do everything possible to have you work with them. That is a very good problem.
Your job is to do the due diligence to make the best decision. It then requires you to think about things like pay, work environment, future plans, etc.
We have been naturally conditioned to see obstacles/problems as bad and what it does is that it scares us rather than we embracing it to find solutions to it. Almost every technological advancement today was as a result of the identification of a problem.
Having a problem does not mean you have failed it means you have the opportunity to do something better. So, go and do it better.
However, the problem with labelling problems is that it leads to comparison which I regard as comparative suffering where people begin to measure their problems against other people’s problems. We begin to describe a problem as good within the context of another person facing similar issue.
For instance, say you have two job offers meanwhile another person is struggling in a toxic work environment. In essence, “good” here is not the superlative of “bad” in another person’s context. Rather, “good” is a description of your mindset towards whatever problem you face that requires a decision or solution.
Calling it the good problem is simply a way or attitude to approach problems when they come and not an opportunity to compare.
