Focus 90% of your time on solutions and only 10% of your time on

The teacher of wisdom, Anthony J. D’Angelo, once proclaimed: “Focus 90% of your time on solutions and only 10% of your time on problems.” In this brief counsel lies a principle of great power, one that has guided not only men of commerce and invention, but also warriors, leaders, and sages throughout the ages. For the mind that dwells too long upon the problem grows weary, but the mind that turns swiftly toward the solution grows strong and creative, transforming adversity into victory.

To fix one’s gaze endlessly upon the problem is to stare into a pit, feeling its depth but never climbing out. Problems indeed must be acknowledged—without recognition, there can be no remedy. But they are not meant to be our dwelling place. The wise examine a difficulty only enough to understand its shape, then swiftly shift their energy toward building a path beyond it. For the future is not born in the shadow of obstacles, but in the light of possibilities.

History itself bears witness. Consider Thomas Edison, whose quest to create the electric light was filled with failure upon failure. He tested thousands of materials for filaments, and with each one that failed, he might have surrendered to despair. Had he spent all his hours lamenting the problem of failure, the world might have remained in darkness far longer. But Edison devoted himself to the solution, treating every failed attempt as progress, a step closer to the goal. His focus was not on what went wrong, but on what could yet be made right. And because of this, the light shone.

This wisdom applies equally to the battles of nations. When Winston Churchill faced the dark hours of World War II, he could have filled his speeches with lamentations over the power of the enemy. Yet he gave only enough words to describe the peril; the rest he filled with vision, resolve, and the promise of victory. His people did not starve on the diet of despair but were fed on the bread of courage. In him, the world saw D’Angelo’s truth: that strength comes not from rehearsing the weight of chains, but from planning the moment of their breaking.

The deeper meaning of this quote is that energy follows focus. What you give your attention to grows in your mind and in your life. To give 90% of one’s time to solutions is to nourish hope, creativity, and resilience. To give 90% to problems is to nourish fear, paralysis, and despair. The choice of focus becomes the choice of destiny.

The lesson for us is clear: acknowledge your problems, but do not worship them. Spend enough time to understand them, no more. Then devote your strength to the building of solutions, whether great or small. In your work, in your family, in your struggles, ask not only, “What is wrong?” but more importantly, “What can be done?” For it is in action, not lamentation, that victory is born.

Practical action lies in training the mind. Each time a problem arises, write it down, give it its 10%—define it clearly, name its boundaries. Then, with discipline, turn your thoughts to the 90%—list possible actions, however small, however imperfect, and begin to move. Celebrate each step forward, for even a small advance is greater than endless complaint. By this practice, you will shift the balance of your life from frustration to progress.

Thus, O children of tomorrow, remember the counsel of D’Angelo: “Focus 90% of your time on solutions and only 10% of your time on problems.” For though problems may surround you like storm clouds, it is the solutions that part the sky. Let your mind be a forge where challenges are not chains but sparks, igniting the flame of innovation, hope, and triumph. In this way, you will not merely survive the trials of life—you will overcome them, and lead others into the light of possibility.