Effective Problem Solving
Good Decision Making

Developing Mental Toughness

And making good decisions can turn your life around!

Understanding what goes into making decisions will help you when you have problems to solve.

For example, your problem is actually a stressor. It needs to be resolved, and it will bother you--until it is resolved! That's why learning to solve problems effectively is also coping with stress.

Problem solving is your response to a situation to bring about a desired result, or relief from the stress or the problem.

Learning Mental Toughness
Ways of coping with stress

• Stage #1 - First you appraise the situation with your own knowledge about the situation and you decide whether you are feeling threatened.

  If you do not feel threatened, you don't take any action. If you consider the situation to be something you have to deal with, you move into the second stage.

• Stage #2 - In the second stage of problem solving or coping, you assess the situation at a deeper level.

  This time you recall previous experiences, the beliefs and attitudes you currently hold about the situation, and the environment such as personal resources, social support, finances, etc.

  During this stage it's important to have a positive outlook and the belief that you can make decisions that will solve the problem (good self esteem). If you do not feel as though you have control over the situation, you are more likely to experience stress and anxiety.

• Stage #3 - During the third stage you take the actions that are necessary to solve the problem. This might include:

  • Making decisions
  • Asking another person for help with decision making
  • Using your communication skills to work out the problem with another person
  • Locating a community organization that can help
  • Consulting with a counselor or physician

Action Steps
In Problem Solving

Here is a summary of the steps that you might use when making a decision:

• Identify the problem.
• Consider your options and possible actions.
• What are the pros and cons of each option identified?
• Make a decision or choice.
• Evaluate the outcome or re-evaluate your steps.

Being able to problem solve effectively requires some skill and a positive and confident outlook.

Dr. Neil Fiore has developed a highly successful program, Mental Toughness , that can help you solve your problems and challenges with a sense of curiosity and interest--instead of fear and doubt!

An excellent psychologist and hypnotherapist, Dr. Fiore is the author of The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free Play.

Ways of Coping with Stress
Your Decision Making Style

Our unique coping styles have been taught to us by our parents, when we were very young, and when we didn’t even realize it.

It's important to be consciously aware of your own coping style and to know whether your decisions are getting the results you want.

You can respond to stressful situations with a dysfunctional pattern that was handed down through the generations in your family, or you can consciously (and unconsciously) choose to make intelligent decisions that steer you toward reaching your goals.

For example, do you respond to challenges strictly on an emotional level (with an emotional reaction) or do you use problem solving skills to determine the solution to a problem?

How you answer that question, is key to whether you are solving your problems and making decisions, that are in your best interest.

If you think that you could improve your decision making and ability to solve problems, make sure you check out Dr. Fiore's dynamic program, Mental Tougness!.



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