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1) Repeat it: If it doesn’t work the first, second, or third time, then what makes you think it will work on the fourth or fifth time? “Try again,” is great advice if you know for certain that you are using the best method available, but if something continuously fails to work – you may want to re-evaluate your strategy. How does that Einstein quote go again?



2) Avoid it: Sometimes when we encounter a problem it is easier to just close our eyes than to stand up and face it. This may give us some immediate satisfaction, and certainly it is less work, but avoiding a problem often just means it’ll pop up sometime again in the future. We can ignore reality, but we can’t ignore the consequences of ignoring reality.



3) Complain: How many people do you know who love to talk about all the things they need to get done, rather than actually get it done? It always begins with a long sigh, followed by the helpless, sympathetic-seeking mantra of, “I am so busy. Yesterday I had to do X, Y, and Z, and today I have to do L, M, N, O, and P.” Is there any coincidence that the people who always seem the most busy always spend the most time chatting about it?



4) Over-analyze and Over-plan: A lot of problems we run into on a daily basis could be easily solved if we just approached them directly, evaluated them in the moment, and then acted right then and there. It is all too easy to fall into the trap of over-analyzing, trying to find shortcuts, and making elaborate plans that we think will increase our productivity, but in the end only distract us or commit us to a flawed course of action.



5) Overreact: This is a great way to make a problem out to be a much bigger monster than it really is. I see it all of the time: someone steps on your shoes, forgets to send you a birthday card, or makes an ill-humored joke about your mom. And what do you do? Yell, punch, scream, or maybe walk out of the room in a fit of rage? We all have our moments where we lose our temper, and some of us have really low thresholds; learning to be a little more tolerant and understanding – and a little less reactive – is sometimes the best response.