There is one subtle trait that can tell you a great deal about people: how long they take to solve problems.

Today my roommate/landlord dropped by on a short trip back to our place – mostly just to use the laundry machine. But when he heard my report of a water leak issue, he immediately went out of his way to purchase new lines and install them the same afternoon.

I knew he was a type A, responsible person but this wasn’t what I expected. And I found it deeply impressive.

Seeing a problem and not just fixing it promptly, but fixing it almost immediately, takes serious discipline and aggressive problem-solving energy that I hardly ever see. People like my roommate are probably not the kind of people who just live with problems.

This is an area in which I admittedly need a good deal of growth. I have put off my own fair share of problems in pursuit of other interests or in hiding from consequences or fear. But if I want to play at the level of greatness, I need to learn something from the people who see problems and fix them immediately.

Photo by David Siglin on Unsplash