Using this problem solving technique, you'll have many silly ideas pop into your head. Don't be too dismissive of them, as they will sometimes trigger a thought that is more useful. You can use this creative technique anywhere, and it's great for putting driving time to good use.

Solve Problems By Causing Them

One way to solve problems is to ask how you can cause them. This is good technique for personal problems. Too much stress? Think of ways to cause more stress. Hmm...promise too much, don't sleep enough, allow constant interruptions, leave many decisions hanging there unresolved, and so on. Each of these ways to cause stress can show you something. If you make fewer promises, sleep more, don't allow too many interruptions, make decisions now (to get them off your mind), you might be more relaxed.

Need customers? How can you scare them away? The point is that if you only look at problem from perspective of "How do I solve it?" you tend to see only solutions based on your hidden assumptions. If, for example, you are assuming that your stress is simply due to having too many things to do, you may miss many solutions. So looking at how to cause a problem will show you more ways to solve it.

Still More Problem Solving Techniques

Try "assuming absurd." Putting stores in homes of consumers was an absurd idea at one time, but isn't that what television shopping networks and internet stores do? What at first seems crazy may lead to ideas that are useful. Backpackers get tired of carrying heavy packs, so one pursued "crazy" idea, "What if backpacks had wheels?" It's for sale now (the "Wheelpacker"), and it can handle most rough trails with its modified bicycle wheel.

Pick a few absurd solutions or ideas related to problem at hand, and work with them for a few minutes to see what comes to mind. If "assuming absurd" is difficult for you, start by "assuming opposite." Need to lower expenses? What if you raise them instead? Find a way to make sense of that, and you are on your way to creative problem solving.

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As Filer puts it, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” She suggests first looking at which of your tasks offers biggest payoff. “Tackle that one first and then work on next three most important items. The rest will be cake,” she shares.

Do you really have to file all those papers today? Could you mop floor tomorrow? Do you have to contact everyone in your database today or just a dozen or so? Maybe you’ll have to forego nap and just hit sack early tonight. Perhaps you could ask your wife to take dog to vet. Which brings me to next point.

Working from home doesn’t mean you no longer have a support team to help when you need help. As a home-based entrepreneur you should have a team you can count on.

Delegate Whether your team is your family, friends or sub-contractors, begin to place a higher value on them and learn to trust your team and their ability to help you. Delegating doesn’t mean passing buck. It is a smart practice that all successful executives employ regularly.

“Surround yourself with people who are qualified and whose strengths complement yours,” suggests Filer. Don’t wait until you’re overwhelmed to call upon your team for help. When you review your “To Do” list, determine if someone else would be better suited to handle a task than you. Perhaps your daughter would enjoy entering your contacts into your database for a few bucks. Have your bookkeeper organize those files. Assign your designer task of researching ideas for your new brochure. Enlist neighbor to walk dog. Hire a housekeeper.

If you’re new to delegating, giving up control might be hardest part. But Filer gives wise advice in saying, “Relinquish control and that will give you more time to do things your love.” Give people small responsibilities, ask for regular status reports, reward a job well done, and then build upon their successes.

Delegating activities to others on your team, frees you up to work your day in a way that makes most sense for you. Speaking of that…

Structure Your Day I know what you’re thinking, “I decided to work from home because I don’t like structure!” Think about it this way, structuring your day doesn’t mean giving yourself one hour to do this or thirty minutes to do that. It simply means arranging your daily tasks to suit your own mental and intellectual flow.

Filer suggests you set boundaries, set reminders for tasks and use a timer as a cutoff for projects or activities. You know yourself better than anyone, so use that knowledge to structure your day so that you can be your most efficient. How many hours do you want to work each day—three, seven, twelve? While every day is different, you do have control over how much of your 24-hour day you spend working. So make most of your workday by tackling each task with a fresh attitude.

Do you dread making phone calls? Get that done first thing when you arrive at your desk. Do it and get it out of way. Tackling those dreaded tasks first can boost your confidence, clear your mind and allow you to move on to things more to your liking. Is your mind clearer and more creative in middle of day? Use that time to brainstorm, create designs, plan activities or write. Are you more objective in evening? Take this time to review, assess and evaluate.

Progress Not Perfection Let’s face it, there will be days when you just don’t get as much done as you would like to. But if you employ these suggestions, you will find that you’re able to function more efficiently in each task and get more done with ease and enjoyment. Aim for progress in your day, not perfection. As human beings, we make mistakes, we miss mark, we forget things and we even blow things (and people) off—we are not perfect. But being committed to making progress each and every day will yield rewards of success.