Is your life on repeat? Here’s what you’re ignoring.

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The majority of the people don't reach their goals.

Why?

Because they lack consistency.

They lack consistency because they aren't good at problem-solving.

Problems get in the way and their solution is often a quick fix, a temporary solution to a deeper problem.

What's causing the problem in the first place is not addressed.

And they stay stuck in the same loop.

Steve Jobs was a perfectionist

Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, is widely known for his perfectionist mindset; both a curse and a blessing.

While this led to revolutionary products like the iPhone and Mac, it also caused friction in the company, contributing to his ousting in 1985.

And it wasn't until the late 1990s that he learned to balance his perfectionism with practicality, which led the company to incredible success.

If Steve Jobs kept stuck in the same perfectionist mindset we would probably not have seen such innovations in our time.

The key is to balance perfectionism with pragmatism, focusing on progress and completion rather than an unattainable ideal.

You pay a high price when you ignore the deeper problem

Most people look at the surface level of a problem when they want to look for a solution.

But if you ignore the underlying cause that's creating all the other problems, you will have a never-ending problem that will keep showing up in your life.

And that will only lead to a cascade of other problems in your life.

What seemed like a little problem will slowly eat you alive.

Treating the symptom vs. solving the root cause

When you only focus on the symptom, or what looks like the problem, you're rarely solving anything. You are only bouncing away what's causing the problem, and it will bounce back and slap you in the face.

If ever got hit by a football in your face you know how painful that is—you feel dumb and your face starts tingling—you didn't see where the ball came from.

You got caught with your guards down.

That's why you want to identify the root cause so that even if you can't solve it right now, you can at least know where it's coming from.

Get to the heart of the problem.

For example:

You are posting content to social media and don't see the results you want, you double down on posting and you increase the frequency of posts because you think that's the problem.

Instead of analyzing why your content isn't resonating with the audience, you ignore the fact that posting doesn't compensate for the lack of quality of your posts.

Now you only have more content that isn't resonating with the audience and you get even more discouraged.

Or this example is for my fellow 9 to 5ers:

You feel unfulfilled at your job, and instead of exploring what truly makes you inspired, you jump from one job to another, within the same industry.

You hope a change in environment will solve your unhappiness.

You spend priceless time doing the same thing in a different place, with different people, expecting a different outcome.

Like Einstein said: "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

The domino effect

Imagine you’re trying to fill a bucket with water, but there’s a small hole at the bottom. You keep pouring more and more water in, but the bucket never seems to fill up.

The water is your money, and the hole represents a scarcity mindset—this nagging belief that there’s never enough.

At first, you might not notice the problem.

You work harder, take on more jobs, and cut back on spending, thinking that if you just try harder or save more, you’ll finally feel secure. But no matter how much you pour into the bucket, it still leaks out.

You keep spending more.

It's as if you have a device that regulates how much you should have in your bank account.

When you get more you spend more, and vice-versa (reflect on this in your life).

You’re constantly stressed about money, always worried about what could go wrong.

This mindset quietly seeps into other areas of your life.

You start avoiding opportunities that could grow your income because they feel too risky.

You hesitate to invest in yourself, like taking a course to learn a new skill or starting a side project you’re passionate about because you think you can’t afford it.

As time goes on, this scarcity mindset creates a ripple effect.

Your relationships might suffer because you’re too stressed or too focused on money worries.
You might start feeling stuck in a job you don’t love, afraid to make a change because of the financial unknowns.

The more you focus on not having enough, the more you reinforce the belief that there’s never enough, trapping you in a cycle of scarcity.

In the end, it’s not just about the money.

It’s about how this mindset shapes your entire life. By not addressing the root cause

—this deep-seated fear of scarcity—

you end up chasing your tail, stuck in survival mode, unable to truly thrive or experience the abundance that life has to offer.

The hole in the bucket never gets fixed, and you’re left wondering why you’re always running on empty, even when you seem to have enough.

8 Common pitfalls for not digging deeper into a problem.

Not enough time (often an excuse though)
Not realizing there's a deeper issue
Afraid of what we might find
Sticking with what we know
Focusing on quick wins
Overwhelm and stress
Feeling unprepared
Fear of failure

Imagine the Benefits of Solving Problems at Their Core

The best solution is the simplest one, not the easiest one.

When you get to the root of the problem, when you really understand what is causing it, that's when you have the opportunity to fix the problem once and for all.

Solving the problem from the core is a long-term solution, and the benefits are worth the extra energy you need to spend to find what's really causing it.

By solving the root cause:

You find solutions that stick:
- creating lasting change so the problem is less likely to come back.
- saving money and time because you don't have to keep looking for quick fixes.
Everything starts to run smoother:
- learning to use simpler processes means less hassle and more flow.
- better using the resources you have available because you don't have to waste them on quick fixes.
You open the door for new ideas:
- creativity gets a boost when we’re not constantly dealing with the same old issues, we have more space to think creatively and come up with new, better ways of doing things.

Addressing the root cause of your problems isn't only about fixing what's broken today, but also about creating a better tomorrow for yourself.

Solutions will last, saving you resources and giving you the space for new ideas and innovations.

Don't you want to feel satisfied and reduce your stress?

Here's how I solved most of my problems, big and small

I don't have a specific order in which I do things because every problem is different.

Some require more reflection and others more action.

But, here are some habits and tools that have helped me find solutions to most of my problems, like anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, stress, overwhelm, etc.

I have not mentioned problems like finances, work, or finding a partner because, from my experience—the root cause is almost always connected to a deeper problem related to our minds, and—the external problem is just a reflection of the internal programming.

Mindfulness

Meditation is a must in your life.

I know, I know… you've probably heard this a thousand times.

But meditation doesn't need to be sitting in a lotus position with your legs crossed and chanting "Om".

The essence of meditation lies in cultivating mindfulness and awareness.

I want you to try different ways of meditating, and find the one that works best for you.

Right now, what works best for me is using an app called IFS Guide, which is based on Richard Schwartz's Internal Family System (reach out if you want a 15% discount on the yearly plan with AI).

IFS is frequently used as an evidence-based psychotherapy, helping people heal by accessing and healing their protective and wounded inner parts. IFS creates inner and outer connectedness by helping people first access their Self and, from that core, come to understand and heal their parts.

It's a mix of meditation and introspection.

Working out is my other form of meditation.

I usually lift weights at the gym.

This becomes a meditation when you start to pay attention to your body posture and become mindful of how you are doing every exercise.

I don't go there and just throw around some handles, scream out loud, and look myself in the mirror—not my style.

Find your own way of meditation.

Reflection

This is something most people ignore and are often too busy to have time for it, as a consequence, they can easily be manipulated and brainwashed by society.

If you don't think for yourself you're an echo of someone else.

Writing is going to change your life.

It's a way to see your thoughts and feelings and understand them.

I use writing when I journal and when I create content, as a way to communicate my ideas.

When I journal there's usually something I want to dig deeper into, like:

triggering situations where my reaction seems out of proportion
when I feel stuck in my life and I need to make some changes (work, living, finances)
when I experience "negative" feelings (I prefer to see them as neutral as it's a signal that some area in your life needs your attention)

In content creation, it helps me refine my ideas and clarify how to communicate and simplify them.

Long walks set your brain in movement, you change your environment and that lets your mind flow freely. It helps if you're overwhelmed or anxious for example.

I usually get a lot of ideas and make powerful connections between them.

Going on long walks gives you the mental space you need to think critically, ask questions, and reflect or ponder the big questions in life.

Exploration

When I have a problem but no answers, I go look for them, and often I don't need to go so far, because most of the time I have the answer already.

But for those times when I can't see it for myself, I start exploring.

There are a lot of places to explore nowadays, but I mostly:

listen to podcasts
watch YouTube videos
surf the internet for inspiration
read books or listen to audiobooks
watch a documentary or TV show that offers me a new perspective

The thing is you don't sit and force yourself to come up with the answer to the problem.

You put the problem out in the universe and start moving your body, your brain, and your spirit looking for an answer.

Practice patience, and keep your senses open, the answer will come to you.

Long walks are also part of exploration, and you can combine some reflection with exploration when you listen to a podcast while you go on a long walk.

Summary

This week we looked into:

How ignoring the root cause of a problem can have big consequences
8 common traps for not going to the core of your problems
The benefits of solving a problem from its root
3 complementary ways to find solutions

I hope you enjoyed this week's read, and that you find some of the tips here helpful in finding long-lasting solutions, because as the saying goes "bad grass never dies".

It does though, but you need to remove its roots.

I'd love to hear from you. So please send me a reply by answering this e-mail and let me know your thoughts or if you have any suggestions on struggles or anything you'd like me to address and help out with.

Enjoy the rest of your day!

The Creative Edge