No matter how carefully you plan your business, personal life or future, aggravation and stress can creep in unexpectedly and adversely affect your well-being. But it doesn't have to be that way.

If you are smart, resourceful and have stamina, you're apt to quickly overcome life's nuisances and "issues" without much disruption to your daily routine. But not everyone's abilities and tolerance levels are the same. Some people fret unnecessarily and become overwhelmed by a myriad of emotions, making them incapable of acting clearly and effectively on their own behalf.

Although you probably can't make a problem not happen, you can put 90% of the burden onto the shoulders of someone else when a problem does arise. I know that from my own experience in helping others resolve issues and solve problems.

For example, a 74-year-old client of mine had a handyman do a minor repair at her home. Unrelated to the initial problem, the handyman found signs of significant water damage on the exterior of her house and told her she needed to replace the entire screen enclosure on her lanai - a project that he estimated could cost as much as $25,000. Riled and upset, the women called me. I subsequently arranged for several experts to meet with me at her house: two roofers to assess the roof and related areas, three screen enclosure companies; two public insurance adjusters, and a general contractor. There were different opinions regarding a solution, ranging from a $5,000 repair job to a completely new screen enclosure costing five times that amount. After sitting down with these experts, and then comparing and analyzing the entire situation, the best solution boiled down to a $1,500 repair job. All that definitive action occurred within one week and this woman was spared a lot of sleepless nights and a chunk of her savings.

Other clients of mine, an aging couple in Woodfield Hunt Club, had damages from a fire and hired a public insurance adjuster torepresent their interests in regard to a claim. Because the homeowners had some very expensive custom furniture pieces, they felt that the numbers the adjustor came up with were too low. I brought in a high-end interior designer who obtained a more accurate assessment of those items. The size of the claim increased significantly and was sufficient to recover the true replacement costs.

I'm sure you'd like to think you can "handle" everything that comes your way. But the reality is, you can't. Furthermore, you can't always rely on your children to help you because they may live out of town or are preoccupied with their own careers and families. They might be able to provide some preliminary advice, but can they be there to hold your hand throughout the process leading to the best possible resolution of your problem or the specific task?

In addition, while you may have been an astute business person and tenacious in your younger years, have you remained that way? Illness or age may have slowed you down. Or perhaps your spouse, who you once counted on to make all those problems and nuisances go away, is no longer able to do so.

Aggravation and stress are known to diminish the quality of life. Mitigating them will keep you healthier and happier. If you can't think out of the box , don't have the right resources at your fingertips, or don't have the endurance to fight for yourself or manage a project (i.e., renovation, major repair), reach out to a skilled professional for advice, guidance, advocacy, troubleshooting or problem solving.

Whether you are working or retired, I'm sure you will agree that time is precious and life is short. Shifting the weight of your troubles onto the right, objective, third-party "go-to" person will ensure you won't have to act on a problem at the last minute. This may also help you avoid a problem and all of those detrimental, unproductive emotions that accompany it.

Alan Topchik, a 30-year veteran of the life insurance and estate planning fields, established The VIP Solution Master in Boca Raton this year to assist individuals, entrepreneurs and small business owners. He analyzes, prioritizes, strategizes and implements solutions to problems, as well as provides project management services. Topchik can be reached at (561) 981-2501 or via email at info@thevipsolutionmaster.com. Or, for further information, visit www.TheVIPSolutionMaster.com.