Solving problems one step at a time
In my life when I have a challenge or problem I usually work it out for myself. However, a problem shared is a problem halved, and last week I put that mandate into action.
Last week, I was lucky enough to spend a few days training over Dartmoor with a friend Ian who also had prostate cancer but, unlike me, caught it early so is now all clear.
The intention was to run around five miles over the moors and along the coast, taking in lots of hills in our joint pursuit of being as fit as we can in our fifties. What neither of us realised was that we both had something in our respective heads that would benefit from being shared to get the other’s advice.
On day one of our run we spoke about something in Ian’s life and my input helped him put more clarity on potential outcomes. Similarly, the next day we spoke about something that has been bothering me for some time to do with fundraising and Ian was able to help me come to what should be the best outcome for all.
What made these chats so effective was that we discussed them over six hours or so and had the time to mull them over while climbing a Tor on the moor or negotiating a muddy path.
By the end of our few days, we both had come to our own conclusions as to the best way ahead. It reminded me of previous times in my life where decisions were rushed, when what was really needed was a short break between each option to dismiss or keep it.
The fun part of all this of course was being outside pushing our bodies to the limit. At one stage we were in the middle of Dartmoor with 45mph winds in bitter temperatures but our thoughts distracted us at times from just how tough that particular day was.
Driving home I had a real sense of achievement, having resolved my mental conundrum, caught up with a good friend and run over 120km.
If you, like me, usually work it out for yourself, do not dismiss occasionally sharing a challenge as you may find that you don’t know all the answers and come up with the best solution through talking.
These chats were so effective, with time to mull them over