Not All Problems Are Equal: Choose Based on ROI

Wrestling with a challenge at work recently reminded me about something that’s easy to lose sight of at work: people bring all of themselves, including personal struggles, to work.

The Personal & Professional Connection

We were facing a difficult personnel issue that was affecting not just the individual involved, but the entire team.

It wasn’t really a work problem, but rather a personal one that was bleeding into the workplace, and it was impacting the entire team. 

Everyone brings their "whole self" to work, and that includes the struggles from their home life, their emotions, and everything else they carry.

The Myth of "Leave It at the Door"

People love to say, "Leave it at the door," as if we can just disconnect entirely between work and home. 

While it’s a helpful mental exercise for short-term relief, it’s not sustainable in the long run.

It’s not realistic to compartmentalize life in that way.

I believe that the better I take care of myself—physically, mentally, and spiritually—the better I am able to be for my team. 

The truth is, all areas of life are connected. Our home life absolutely impacts our work, and the stresses of work seep into our personal lives. It goes both ways.

The Roadblock That Needed Solving

But, back to the story—this particular personnel issue was having a serious impact on our team's ability to function effectively.

One of the worst parts about this situation (that sparked this post!) is that it was completely avoidable.

And it started to hit me.

There’s a difference between challenges that are worth solving and those problems that merely produce stress from chaos we choose to create ourselves.

Stress with Purpose vs. Stress Without

I believe most, if not all of us here, would say we don’t mind taking on a tough problem. 

We'd probably say, bring it on! Right? 

But the problem has to be significant. It has to have meaning.

Stress itself isn’t inherently bad—work, for example, is a gift, something created by God before the Fall, as we learn in Genesis. 

Work was actually created as a blessing, a chance to contribute, and to learn. It wasn’t meant to be a curse. 

But after the Fall, things became more complicated. Work became intertwined with sin, and that’s where the real stress started.

Avoiding Self-Created Problems

This situation makes me pause and reflect on another level: What types of problems am I needlessly creating in my life? 

What stress am I inviting in that doesn’t need to be there?

And let’s be honest—there are so many.

When we don’t take care of ourselves, when we skip workouts, stop reading good books, or neglect our spiritual health, we create weaknesses in our lives. 

Weaknesses that show up in the form of tiredness, frustration, or burnout. We lose our resilience. It’s a domino effect, and one that we set into motion ourselves.

Similarly, when we’re disorganized—when we don’t put things away, don’t manage our time well—it wastes resources. 

Time is wasted, and so is money, because we can’t find what we need, so we end up buying it again.

It’s an unnecessary problem that causes stress in the background, often without us realizing it. It becomes a cycle that drags us down.

Leadership and the Power of Example

As leaders, we have a responsibility to continually improve, pointing others to Jesus through our actions.

People are always watching. 

We set the tone, we set the example. They’re looking at how we respond to stress, how we manage challenges, and how we take care of ourselves. 

If we show our teams a better way—one where we take proactive steps to solve the problems that truly matter, and eliminate the unnecessary stresses—we encourage them to do the same.

Less Burden, More Focus

Life will always present us with hardships. 

There’s no way around that. But there’s no need to pile more on top of it. 

As leaders, we can choose to bring solutions, not more problems. We can choose to take care of ourselves in ways that make us stronger, more effective, and more resilient. 

It’s a calling to be the best version of ourselves for the glory of God, so that we can show up for the people who need us.

What is the ROI of the Stress We’re Carrying?

So, let's ask ourselves: What problems are worth solving? They are ones that matter, that challenge us, that have meaning.

Let's leave the needless ones behind. Life is tough enough without us creating extra burdens to carry.

Stress isn’t all bad. It pushes us to grow, to learn, and to achieve. But let's at least make sure we’re getting a sufficient ROI.

In other words, are the outcomes worth the energy, time, and stress we’re pouring into a problem?