Want more plays to help you stay mentally strong? Pick up a copy of The Mental Strength Playbook.

Have you ever felt stuck trying to solve a problem? Maybe you’re trying to figure out how to attract more customers, smooth things over with someone you Love, or finally dig out of debt—but you just can’t figure out what to do?

Well, sometimes pushing harder for an answer in the same direction is exactly what’s keeping you stuck. And that’s why brainstorming the worst ideas might be the key to getting unstuck.

Some of the things I talk about are:

• The online jewelry store I built knowing nothing about jewelry—and the backwards question that finally cracked my customer problem.
• Why trying harder to find a good idea often keeps you stuck, and what to do instead.
• The exact reversal I use with Therapy clients who say “I’ve tried everything and nothing works.”
• Why this play makes group brainstorms come alive—and finally gets the quiet people to speak up.
• The real reason asking “how do I make this worse?” knocks your brain out of its stuck loop.
• The five simple steps to turn a list of terrible ideas into a blueprint for what to actually do next.
• When to run this play—from a business decision to a standoff at home to a meeting you’re leading.

Related Episodes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• 31 — Friday Fix: These 5 STEPS Will Sharpen Your Problem-Solving Skills to Get Through Challenges with Ease

• 316 — How Talking to a Rubber Duck Will Solve Any Problem Fast (And Why Thinking Harder Fire Backfires)

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Amy Morin Therapist, Bestselling Author, Host of the Mentally Stronger Podcast

Amy Morin is a psychotherapist, international bestselling author and the host of the Mentally Stronger podcast. Her books on mental strength, including 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do, have sold more than 1 million copies and been translated into more than 40 languages.

She’s practiced therapy for over 20 years and she’s a sought after speaker whose TEDx talk, The Secret of Becoming Mentally Strong, has become one of the most popular talks of all time with more than 22 million views.

Amy lives on a sailboat in the Florida Keys.