Stop Symptoms Get To The Root

Image – Oskari Porkka/Shutterstock.com

Do you feel frustrated because the same patterns keep recurring?

That’s because you’re attempting to solve a symptom not the problem.

When you do this, it’s analogous to putting a bandaid on the issue. Get it wet with the slightest bit of adversity and you’re back to square one.

Stop symptoms get to the root!

When solving problems, dig at the roots instead of just hacking at the leaves. Anthony J. D’Angelo

Image – Clipart Library

Difference Between Symptoms And Problems

Symptoms and problems are like chips and salsa. They go together but are completely different.

Symptoms are indicative a problem exists. It tends to be obvious and cannot be solved.

Problems are the root cause, what lies beneath, and need to be solved in order to eliminate the symptoms.

Think of an iceberg. On the surface, it can look ominous but is completely visible. Below the surface, the iceberg is not visible and can run quite deep. If you remove the tip of the iceberg, it will eventually grow back and resurface.

Are you feeling a bit confused? You’re not alone. Even some well-known professionals cannot differentiate between the two.

Grab some chips and salsa and keep reading!

Let’s Play a Game

Put the label Symptoms or Problems on top of each column and win…Clarity

Perfectionist	Feeling Not Enough
Attention Seeking	Feeling Unworthy
Staying in Bad Relationship	Fear of the Unknown
Not Fitting In	Feeling Different/ Lack of Belonging
Inferiority And Self-Doubt	Feeling Not Enough
Repeating Family Patterns	Feeling It's Not Available to You

Did you figure it out?

Answer - The left column contains symptoms while the right contains problems.

Now that you know the difference, it should be easy to resolve right?

Somewhat but the problems aren’t always easy to discover.

The power is in the question. You can’t solve a problem until you ask the right question.

Be in Pursuit of the Root

If you want to drill down you need to do a root cause analysis.

Put on your toddler hat and ask WHY 5x.

Each question builds on the preceding one.

By the time you have responded to Why 5, you’ve addressed the issues and have discovered the root cause.

Example Using the 5 Whys - Staying In An Unhealthy Relationship

In this example, now that you’ve discovered the main problem is attachment issues, you can drill down even further. Explore the main types of attachment and identify the typical symptoms.

Congratulations…Now Take Action

Now that you have identified the root cause, the actual problem needs to be resolved through targeted action steps.

Are you ready to get to the root👇

CONTACT