A good habit to develop is to ask yourself the question, “What’s great about this?” whenever a problem arises. This forces you to extract value from the problem at hand.
If you change your immediate reaction from being annoyed about the problem to being curious about what you can make from it, you’ll put yourself in a better mood and find a solution more quickly.
Here’s an example: About a year ago, I received notice from the NY Workers Comp Board saying that I could owe $100,000 in penalties for not having workers comp for an intern I had worked with for two years.
You can imagine the immediate reaction that I had: O.M.G. Luckily, I’d already formed the habit of asking myself that question, and so I got myself calmed down forced myself to find some answers.
First, it was great that they said I COULD owe $100,000. They didn’t say that I DO owe that much.
Second, it’s great that this happened now and not five years from now where I could $500,000 dollars in penalties.
Third, it’s great that these things help move me forward with my business. Think of how far ahead I’ll be than other photographers in my field?
After answering these questions, I calmed down and took the appropriate action. I was almost excited to tackle the problem, as crazy as that sounds. Needless to say, it all worked out and I’m still here.
