I borrowed this from Matt Damon’s character in The Martian (good movie, BTW), and I think it works for me.
Work. The. Problem.
In the movie, Matt Damon’s astronaut character gets stranded on Mars during what was supposed to have been a routine space mission (aren’t they all?). Well, he gets accidentally left for dead, except that he’s still very much alive, but some of his equipment is broken and he can’t communicate with NASA or the crew of the spaceship ? he traveled to Mars with.
Yeah, talk about a BAD day.
And the day turns to weeks, then months, then… At any rate, it was a really bad time for Matt Damon’s character.
One theme that pops up over and over again in the movie is the idea of working a problem.
What does that mean?
Well, if there’s a problem in front of you — like, say, being accidentally stranded on a hostile planet with very little food, no friends, no spaceship and no means of communication — first, you gotta keep it together (a.k.a. don’t freak out).
Then, you work toward solving the very first problem in front of you, and you keep working that first problem until it’s solved. Then you move on to solving the next problem, then the next, then the next one after that. Hopefully, after you’ve solved enough of the problems, you achieve whatever the larger goal is. In the case of The Martian, it was getting the heck off Mars.
I’ve been thinking about “working the problem” a lot lately because I’ve been trying to make headway on a couple of big projects — planning some large home repairs (we have a bathroom that needs repairs, carpet that should be replaced, some needed electrical repairs, etc.) and making some changes in my career. (Definitely not quitting blogging, though. I’m just trying to get something else going.)
I haven’t felt equipped to make big changes in my life for a few years (seriously, keeping a small child alive drains your life force in so many unexpected ways), but now that Connor is a little older, I finally feel like I have the strength and mental energy to do it.
Truth is though, while I desperately want to move my life forward, I still get easily overwhelmed, and that’s where working the problem comes in. I keep reminding myself to “just solve this one problem.” Keep working at that one thing until it’s done, and then move on to the next.
I just want to leave Mars and go back to earth! — so to speak.
Is making big changes that simple? No. I still carry enough mental baggage to employ a full-time valet! But I just keep whittling away at whatever the problem is in front of me. One at a time.
So that’s been on my mind lately…
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
Keep at it Karen. You can do it!
I’m trying to publish this book that got put on hold as I was pregnant, gave birth and went through postpartum hell.
One day at a time, that’s what my bestie always says. xo
Hi Syahidah,
Those first few months are so, so hard. Do you feel like you have your footing a little more now?
Oh for sure. Babe is 1 year old now (what!) and it was definitely really bleak this time last year. xo!
I’m excited to see what you’re working on!
Oh this is such a timely reminder, Karen! I’m reminded of the same idea from this book, “The Obstacle is the Way”. There’s a chapter in it called “Follow the Process”, which is basically the same idea. The point is to work on just one small step, one chip in the block at a time. Thank you for the reminder, let’s do this together!
OMG, yes! I love this so much. I’ve also been struggling with this as life seems unsurmountable at times, but I love this reminder. And….just keep swimming!
You’ve got this!
Thanks, Karen! It’s so easy to get overwhelmed….this idea will help me focus and get started on things.
Great post! We all need this reminder when we get stuck. One thing at a time, all in the right time. Even if it isn’t immediately on the time table we want we can get there. Every little thing helps. Perfect, just what I needed today thanks Karen!
Wow – this was just what I needed! I am feeling very overwhelmed at the moment – which is totally not like me. Then, I read your blog and I felt like you were really speaking to me. I needed to be reminded that I just need to tackle one problem at a time. Not to mention, my situation could be much worse and I could be stranded on Mars! Sometimes, life just seems to be a little overwhelming – good to know I am not alone. I wish you all the best!
My computer’s tip of the day was ‘The obstacle is what you see when you take your eyes off the goal.’ I forget who said it. Henry Ford maybe? I try to keep that in mind.
Great post! I’ve never seen the movie but a good philosophy.
Have you ever heard of or played Virtual Villagers? It is literally this LOL. I love those games.
I have a dream of starting a fun kids clothing business. But it’s so scary taking that first big step, I mean LEAP, into it. I like that advice, work the first problem until it’s solved, and then onto the next problem and work that until it’s solved … etc. I have things I have to do before starting my business. Thanks for this ?
Sounds like a great approach. I too get overwemed with all I have planned/ going on, so I should probably try to just work the problem.
The Martian is a great film!
The book is amazing (the Martian), you should read it sometime 🙂 good for you, that you’re branching out.
You know, it’s funny that I’m reading this today. I’ve had some devastating work and personal events over the last few weeks and I was just thinking to myself this morning about my “lessons learned”. I think, for me, it is that what seems like the end of the world this very minute will fade quicker than you think. The panic or sadness or devastating disappointment is real and it’s OK to feel that. But think about the last time you went through something similar. The details have probably faded and things are probably a-OK now. Or at least much better than they were when it was happening. I really hate the phrase “don’t sweat the small stuff, and it’s all small stuff” but, most of the time, it turns out to be true. Just do your best and, if it’s not good enough, look around and realize that you’re still loved just as much by the people who really matter. 🙂