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Look the Problem in the Face
When you’re faced with an uncomfortable problem to be solved or a decision to be made, it’s tempting to look around it.
You can avert your gaze, avoid taking in new information, and push it to the back of your mind until the last possible moment before action must be taken or a decision must be made.
It feels like you’re making an empowered decision to not worry about the problem before it needs to be worried about, or to avoid overloading yourself with information that will only make the decision more fraught with confusion.
But often the problem could be solved immediately, saving you a great deal of stress, energy, and anxiety. And often the very information you avoid taking in is in fact required to make an informed decision.
When faced with discomfort about a problem or decision, it’s better to look it in the face and tackle it head-on.
Find the information you need to solve the problem or inform your decision as quickly as possible. Even if you don’t take action immediately, with the necessary knowledge in place, your brain will subconsciously start putting the pieces together on its own and a clearer picture will take shape, outlining the best course of action.
Avoidance won’t make the problem go away.