Don't solve problems that don't exist

Pulling yourself out of the backup plan death spiral.

Back in the day when I was younger, greener and more highly strung, I used to do this thing where I spent the vast majority of my mental bandwidth solving problems that didn’t exist.

More specifically, my preoccupations occurred when I was teetering on the edge of my comfort zone or about take a risk: flying to Egypt alone as a 17 year old girl (what will I do if someone kidnaps me on the street?), being offered a huge promotion way beyond my developing skillset (how will I respond when they come to their senses and demote me?), entering a new relationship with a Questionable Character (if this goes tits up, how quickly can I change my name and move interstate?), starting a business (can I move back into Mum and Dad’s if I go bankrupt?), exposing my ideas and writing online (what will I do if no one reads, or worse, if EVERYONE reads?!), and ditching the conventional career path (what’s the plan if I have to crawl back to a full time job, tail between my legs?).

It appears I had quite the imagination but as you may have gathered, I was not kidnapped in Egypt, nor did I get demoted, go into witness protection, become bankrupt, have no one or everyone read my writing, or sheepishly slide back into gainful employment.

I shudder to think about how many times I’ve been bent out of shape by fruitless problem solving and backup planning over the years. Fortunately, being in business, sucking at business and then becoming notably better at business has helped me kick this mindset to the curb. These days I’d much rather deal with actual problems than imagined ones.

Over the past couple of weeks during the enrolment window for The Portfolio Career Build Method, I occasionally saw my old mindset reflected back at me in conversations with people weighing up whether to join. I noticed the telltale signs of fear and procrastination disguised as diligent attempts to solve imagined problems:

• If I try to build a second income stream and it doesn’t work (imagined problem) I will look stupid (imagined problem)

• I have too many ideas and if choose the wrong starting point (imagined problem) or have to pivot (opportunity masquerading as an imagined problem) then I’ll lose credibility (imagined problem)

• I’m a generalist and if I get more specific around my positioning I’ll box myself in and lose out on opportunities (imagined problem)

• If I shoot my shot and don’t get a response then I’ll look desperate and everyone will judge me (imagined problem)

• If I try this and it doesn’t work then I’ve ruined my chances to go back and get a job (imagined problem)

I don’t want to dismiss these feelings nor do I want to shame them. Hell, I’ve been here too. But felt fears are distinct from urgent, tangible problems that need attention, and more often than not, those are hiding underneath and going unsolved. Real problems look more like:

• I have too many ideas and can’t pick a starting point, so I don’t execute anything and stay eternally in the same spot

• I need to stop relying on my salary because I might be made redundant and I need to be able to provide for my family

• I’m exhausted in my job, I don’t feel lit up by what I’m doing and I’m sacrificing too much by being there

• I’m not putting myself out there consistently to create a solid pipeline of opportunities and leads, and to give this thing a real crack

These are the problems to be focusing on! The big, meaty, hard but exciting ones!

The imagined ones will only munch away at every inch of brain space you give them. You can spend years concocting escape plans for a kidnapping that never comes or writing the apology for a business venture that may or may not fail. None of it will get you anywhere because you can’t solve a problem that doesn’t exist.

Working through what’s in front of you is confronting stuff, and sure, you may rack up an astronomical therapy bill in the process. But listen, humans are like cockroaches (I mean that in the least offensive and gross way). We are resilient. We are resourceful. WE SOLVE PROBLEMS AND FIGURE STUFF OUT.

As long as we give ourselves the chance to.

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My worst fear in business realised (running out of money) and why I’m an infinitely more capable, confident, resilient human because of it.

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🫶🏼 When you’re ready, here are two ways I can help:

• How to future-proof your career in the world of AI: a free 14 day email series teaching you how to diversify your income and risk, and build a portfolio of skills, opportunities and income streams. Sign up here.

• The Portfolio Career Operating System: a Notion-based productivity tool to help you efficiently market and manage multiple income streams without running yourself into the ground. Used by 200+ solopreneurs worldwide. Get yours here.

• The Portfolio Career Build Method: a 6 week accelerator for smart, ambitious humans who want to build multiple income streams and gain full ownership over their time and life. Cohort 3 is now closed but you can register your interest for Cohort 4 here.

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