3 Steps to Convert Your “Frustration List” to an “Opportunity List”

By the end of this September, I was feeling miserable about myself, because I have been trying multiple things, but none of them brought me the expected results. And I didn’t know what to do after that, although I have been working very hard. So, I was literally lost not knowing what to do next to reach my targets and goals. 

But I knew I should overcome this feeling, find solutions and get back to work, because no one can achieve goals living and suffering with frustration. 

This is the simple process I used for myself.

1. 🏕️ Take a proper break 

2. 📝 Make your “Frustration List” 

3. 📌 Start finding the solutions 

I tried this method based on a few lines I caught during a video of Matt Gray with Tiago Forte. 

Now let me explain what I did in each step and you can see whether it works for you as well. This wouldn’t do you any harm. So, give it a try 🙂

You can use my Free Template 📄(Submit your email here to receive an email with the template link) I use for myself. Please make a copy for yourself to edit. 

(All my templates are exclusive for my Personal blog’s subscribers only. So, enter your email address in the box shown after clicking the above link and I will email it to you. Please check your spam folder in case you didn’t get it).

1. Take a proper break 🏕️

I stopped all my work, frankly I couldn’t focus on doing anything. I was angry and sad. But stopping all my work gave my mind a break. 

This is what I exactly thought and told myself. “I am not going to do any work today, but I will take a break for my body and mind and I will find a way to get rid of this frustration and find solutions for the problems to reach my goals”. 

Then I cooked, watched movies (I don’t watch very serious movies when I am feeling frustrated, instead I watch comedy or any simple story that doesn't make my mind think for weeks), I walked to the park, spent some hours just sitting on a bench under a tree watching kids play. 

You can also try music, gardening, socializing with some friends or family, just do something that makes you feel relaxed (and no digital devices, a “Big No”). Also, if you feel like crying, go ahead, do that. Grievance is a great way to relieve stress. Sri Lanka has a funeral tradition that lasts for 7 days, which allows people to visit and talk with the grieving family. So that the family gets the chance to cry with others, not feeling alone, giving them enough time to recover from the loss of their loved one and maybe find solutions for their future problems too, because people are willing to help them. 

2. Make your “Frustration List”  📝

My 1st step went for a week. So, take your time. 

Then, on a day when I was feeling ok, not very angry and sad anymore, but still feeling lost, I made my “Frustration List”. 

I took my journal (book) and listed down the things I was feeling frustrated about. 

Eg: I couldn’t hit my sales target although I tried my best. 

This “I tried my best” part doesn’t add much meaning factually, but it does add a big value mentally. It’s your feelings, grievances coming out of your mind. So, let it flow out. 

Please take all your time for this, it’s worth it. Make yourself peaceful and start writing. At the end, I had 10 things listed in my list 🙂

I was still feeling sad, but in a way I started feeling less burdened in my mind. It’s like I took all the burden out of my head to that paper. I could see them, instead of letting them burn inside my head. 

3. Start finding the solutions 📌

You have the list of your problems. Now it’s time to find solutions. This has 2 steps. 

3.1. Find the “Why”

So, it’s time to understand “why” that problem occurred, and find the reason why it happened. 

Eg: One possible “why” for the above problem - I wasn’t targeting the right audience. 

Finding “why” is tricky, it’s difficult and confusing. But do it anyway. Some problems will have “many whys”. List down everything. 

3.2. Find a way to solve the “Why” 

Let me show you this step with our example.

Problem - I couldn’t hit my sales target

Why it happened - I wasn’t targeting the right audience

Now find a way to solve it. 

How to solve it - Understand who my right audience is

What to do - Do a Customer Persona 

(I use this Free HubSpot Persona maker and target them). 

Here’s another example.

If you don’t have any idea about what you can do to solve an issue in your list, then Google it or try ChatGPT or find what your competitors are doing, find articles written by experts (entrepreneurs, influencers, creators etc.), watch youtube videos. 

You can use this method for your “personal matters” as well. An example is available in my “free template”.  

See, it’s simple. It became simple, because you took all those problems to a paper, where you can actually see them instead of keeping them inside your head trying to solve burning yourself. 

At the end of this day after completing this process, I felt fantastic. I had everything I can do on my hand written in a book for me. It was filled with solutions, opportunities for me to try. 

When you can see your frustration clearly, finding the solutions for them is easy. When you have the solutions, you can start taking actions to solve them, right? All these solutions and actions are “Opportunities” for you to try and grow yourself or your business. 

Use my “Free Template” 📄 (Submit your email here to receive an email with the template link) for more examples and try it yourself.

Good luck in converting your “Frustration List” into an “Opportunity List” to achieve your goals and become a happy “GoalGetter”. 

I can help you optimize your LinkedIn profile;

• To stand out among the crowd (because attention is the key now)

• To land in your next dream job (because you are losing $12,000/yr now staying at the same place)

• To start your LinkedIn creator journey (still only 1% users are creators on LinkedIn. Don’t lose this huge potential to grow your personal brand).