Without knowing the cause of our issues it’s really hard to make changes last beyond our attention spans.  As indicated in the previous post, the first step in correcting a problem is to contain the situation so there are no further negative impacts.  The second thing to do is seek an understanding of why the problem occurred.  We can seek all the self-help and improvement we want but unless we know the cause of our issues, our efforts may easily be wasted.  Sometimes we may get lucky but that’s not a winning strategy.  To affect long-term positive change we have to know what to change.  Without know the cause of our suffering we won’t know what tools to use to improve our situation.

There is a veritable cornucopia of self-help, improvement and leadership tools out there.  Each one of them is sold as being able to help.  One may be a hammer for your situation while another a wrench or screwdriver.  Which tool is required to effectively and efficiently fix your particular problem?  Only you can decide what’s appropriate for your situation and to do so it is imperative you have identified the root cause or at least a few potential causes.  Once you know the roots of your issues, you can select an appropriate tool to fix the problem.  If you have a self-confidence problem you may need a tool to build your confidence back up.  If you have trust issues, you may have to start learning to trust yourself.  No matter what your particular need is, once you know the root you can choose an appropriate tool instead of blindly reaching into the toolboxes known as bookstores, internet or seminars.  Seek the roots to understand and make lasting change to prevent recurrence of your issues.