The Scenario: You’ve got a stressful issue that needs to be resolved as quickly & easily as possible. What exactly are you dealing with…
A PROBLEM is an issue that has finite & concrete boundaries; it can be “solved”.
Insight: Naturally, the best strategy when you’ve identified a PROBLEM is to devise a solution to it. Unfortunately, it’s easy to get sidetracked into wasting energy trying to “manage” it instead, achieving nothing other than exhaustion. So a friendly word of caution: Never adopt a strategy of trying to manage or mitigate the effects of a PROBLEM; focus on finding a solution to it.
A PRESSURE is an issue that has no finite & concrete boundaries; it can’t be “solved”.
Insight: The best strategy to adopt when you’ve identified a PRESSURE is to identify which vectors of it you can mitigate and/or manage, and then assign your resources to doing so. But be careful, because it is very tempting to just jump right in and try to find a “solution”; many people continue to grind themselves, their resources, and their morale to dust in futile attempts to “solve” a PRESSURE… don’t be one of them.
The Takeaway: Always identify whether the issue under consideration is a PROBLEM or a PRESSURE. Remember: They often feel the same, so it’s always worth it to take a moment to decide up front which you’re actually dealing with: PROBLEM or PRESSURE – you’ll be glad you did.