Solve the Small Problem First

Yesterday, I used the example of a splinter and pointed out that sometimes we have problems that seem really small but cause a lot of pain in our lives. Those blasted things get stuck in your finger and ache for days and yet they're usually tiny. In other words, the pain is disproportionate to the problem. Today, I wanted to pick up where I left off because I feel like sometimes the solution isn't as complex as we make it. I think the best strategy for attacking those big looming problems in your life is to solve the small problem first - let me explain:

I've been trying to figure out how to set up all of our Community Group structures into a new database and it has been very overwhelming! It feels a little like trying to kill fruit flies - just when you get most of them in your strike zone a molecule moves in the next room and, poof, their off again. So rather than trying to tackle all of my database woe's I spent some time solving what is comparatively a very small problem.

The problem: How do I view the people in my group?

The solution: There was a mis-spelled word in a link I had created. When it was fixed I gained relief after two weeks of frustration and access into the portion of the database that will finally allow me to view my groups.

As a bonus, I also learned that the people who transferred our data did it more accurately then I thought. By solving the small problem first I was able to see that the bigger issue was smaller then It had originally appeared...

So here's a challenge - If you're heading out to tackle Goliath, pick up some stones on the way... In other words, maybe you can't eliminate all of your debt today, but you can cut up your credit card. Maybe you and your spouse won't be able to go back to the way you loved each other 5 years ago, but you might be able ask forgiveness for how you snapped at her when you walked in from work yesterday. By focusing on the small problem first you might figure out that the issue wasn't actually as big as you thought it was. Or, maybe you won't but either way at least you'll be relieved of that nagging pain that was being caused by that tiny little problem...