However, most of us also know at our core that if we could get ourselves to follow through on a direct course of action, our challenge would be resolved.

Consider these scenarios:

• If you want to lose weight, one possible direct solution would be to limit yourself to 2,000 calories a day and exercise for 60 minutes each day. Undoubtedly, anyone who adheres to this program will lose a significant amount of weight. But how many people can get themselves to stick to it for 12 weeks?

• Suppose you wanted to date a beautiful person. One possible direct solution is to go where there are likely to be a large number of beautiful people. Then you could continue asking out beautiful people until one said yes. This solution is simple. However, doing it could require a significant amount of courage.

Simplest and Fastest

If you consider them closely, many of life's greatest dilemmas have rather simple solutions. The only real challenge is figuring out how to become the type of person who can implement a direct approach. Most of us spend a lot of time coming up with ways to work around our lack of discipline or courage.

This is why developing your self-discipline and your ability to take action when you're afraid are perhaps the most important areas of self-improvement.

When you work on these two attributes, your ability to implement direct solutions improves. You no longer have to take the long way around.

Why Direct Solutions are Challenging

While direct solutions seem reassuring because they’ll obviously work, they’re also disturbing. There’s an obvious solution just staring you in the face, but taking action seems so challenging. So why do these approaches seem so daunting?

For your answer, try considering a direct solution to one of your challenges. Ask yourself, "Am I really willing to follow through on that? Am I willing to transform myself into the type of person that could take these actions consistently?"

What if the answer is "no"? You were probably hoping for a “yes.” But at least you now have your answer: if an obvious solution exists, but you won’t take it, you are the source of your challenge.

Admitting this may not be easy. You may become aware that you're choosing to be timid or undisciplined. However, the discomfort caused by this realization can be enough to generate some of the personal changes you’ve been seeking and propel you toward the happier life that you deserve.

Tips to Practice Using Direct Solutions

As with anything, practice makes perfect – or at least it makes it easier to accomplish what you desire!

Try these tips to help you acquire the propensity to use direct solutions:

1. Practice daily. As you go throughout your day, find tasks that you could do better or quicker with a direct action. Then do it!
   
   
2. Dare yourself. Come up with tasks that would be only a small challenge to you and dare yourself to do it. Make it something that would yield a positive benefit for you if you were to do it. This increases both your motivation and your skill at going direct.
   
   
3. Move on to more complex challenges. Break down your challenge into easier tasks, which, when completed, will resolve the challenge. Now, you’re resolving your challenges. As you get more practice, move to more direct solutions.

As you learn to honestly evaluate direct solutions to your challenges, you’ll discover that they provide multiple avenues for growth. Not only do they often offer the quickest way to achieve your goals if you have the fortitude to pursue them, they also give you opportunities to examine yourself. And what’s not to like about that?