Focusing on your problems might be the exact reason nothing is improving for you…

I KNOOOOW

That sounds completely counterintuitive coming from a guy who is obsessed with personal growth and self-improvement.

How are you supposed to get better if you don't look at what's wrong?

Here’s the truth: we don’t get better by obsessing over problems; we get better by focusing on SOLUTIONS!

Most of us fall into Problem-Centric Thinking (PCT) without even realizing it. This concept was popularized by Dr. Jason Selk and Dr. Ellen Reed in their bestselling book, Relentless Solution Focus.

I recently picked the book up again, and it hit just as hard as when I first read it back in 2020. While the book dives deep into the framework, two core habits have completely transformed how I navigate my daily life:

Psychological research shows that as much as 80% of our daily thoughts skew negative, and up to 75% are repetitive.

That means most of us are running the exact same negative loops in our heads day after day. The big mistake we make is confusing ruminating with working toward a solution. They aren't the same thing. Rumination drains your energy, gets you down on yourself, and in severe cases, causes you to lose love for things you used to be passionate about.

The Play: Be intentional about noticing your negative thoughts as they happen. Once you build awareness around how often it occurs, it stops being your default state.

Instead of dwelling on past mistakes or current limits, reframe your internal dialogue so you’re moving toward a goal.

This mental shift isn't just theory; it’s a muscle I had to flex a few days ago.

This past Friday, I led a trial for a brand-new product coming out in 2027 (No spoilers). Almost everything we tried failed for the first few hours after already getting a later start than I wanted. It was frustrating, exhausting, and could have easily ruined the entire day.

Instead of spiraling into "Why isn't this working?", I told the team to step back, take a breath, and regroup. We took things apart, focused strictly on finding a solution, and discovered the issue. It still made for a long day, but we accomplished every single goal we set out to achieve!

That’s what mental toughness looks like in real time. It’s not about avoiding challenges; it’s about refusing to let problems hijack your focus.

If you’re struggling with consistency or building mental toughness, I highly recommend checking out these resources:

Being intentional about catching negative thoughts and reframing them toward solutions is one of the primary ways I choose to Be Incredible every day!

How do you transition from an entry-level role to a global tech executive while maintaining authentic leadership? In this interview, Crispin Thompson (Global Leadership Coach & Author of The Human Advantage) breaks down the exact communication tools, career strategies, and emotional intelligence skills needed to lead high-performing teams in the age of AI.

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