Put things into perspective

When you are first confronted with a problem, it can all seem daunting. Don't dive right in. 

Take a break, go for a walk, ask for some time to think things over, close your eyes for 10 minutes, or even hit the gym. Whatever you do, give yourself some time to get used to the problem. 

Ask people to explain it to you a few times. Keep asking questions to really get to the root of the problem. 

Then go ahead and explain the problem to someone else, just to make sure you really understand it. Often times, simply formulating the problem and explaining it to others can help you understand it better. And that is the first crucial step to solving a problem.

No matter how awful your situation may be, rest assured that someone else has been through the same thing. 

It is important to realize how your situation compares to the rest of what you are doing, and how bad it really is compared to all the good things in your life. 

This may sound like bad advice, but sometimes when you can't get out of something, you might as well dive all the way in. 

Did you just get fired? Well, there's no solution to that, so you might as well embrace your new situation and also sell your house, plan that trip around the world, and write that book you've always wanted to write.

• Start with finding out what the best- and worst-case scenarios are. Then think about what the most realistic scenario is. 
• Divide up the problem into smaller problems and find a solution for every little thing. 
• As you are going through these motions, you'll slowly turn your focus to the solutions, rather than being blinded by the problem.

Problems are just part of what you do, and the bigger you dream, the bigger the obstacles will be. 

The best writers, artists, and entrepreneurs have led lives filled with personal challenges and problems. And despite all those problems, or because of them, they were able to do great things.