Master the Skill of Problem Solving
A vast majority of people have heard the optimistic cliché “All problems have a solution” at least once in their life. As commonplace as this saying is, it is definitely one that the vast majority of people should take more to heart and mentally integrate. As adolescents, most of us don’t really pay attention to the fact that school subconsciously teaches and fosters the art of problem solving. Most children, and even young adults, are more occupied with the fun and exciting things in life. We go out of our way for recreation, but rarely do we get excited to go out of our way in solving problems and even diligently looking for problems to solve. There is a natural human repulsion to problems and things that are against our liking, so we avoid them and often don’t even acknowledge them because it means we have to do something about it. This seemingly innocuous tendency of avoiding problems will inevitably lead to the accumulation of minor issues, eventually culminating in larger problems that demand attention.
Don’t Avoid Problems
Mastering the skill of problem solving requires a person to avoid the tendency of evading problems and instead develop an appetite for solutions. Notice that I did not say “an appetite for problems”. As soon as the rewarding and satisfying results of solving a problem are realized, the hungry hunter emerges with a ravenous appetite for more of that sweet victory. Our brains start rewiring as it creates new pathways and synaptic connections that override the negative tendency to resist problems. Only when we have an appetite for solutions do we have any desire to pursue a problem.
The easiest way to develop this appetite for solutions and master this skill is to follow reliable formulas that streamline the solution process. Mathematics naturally develops these qualities in a person. From arithmetic as a young child to trigonometry and calculus in later years, mathematics forces us to use our mind and follow a series of steps within a formula to arrive at the proper result. There are always templates that we use to arrive at the correct answer. The incremental formula for solving problems in mathematics is applicable in all other areas of life, regardless of the problem to be solved. This formula will be revealed, but first, something must be said about intentions.
Intent is the idea or thought of performing a deliberate action to produce a desired result. This is easily seen in mathematics, but the only difference is that in mathematics we don’t always readily know what the answer is until the solution process, or formula, is complete. In other areas of life, it is much easier because we typically know what the solution to a problem is, but how often do we act on it, or procrastinate in solving it? This in itself is a problem. Why is this the case? Simply put, it’s due to a lack of intention. The repulsion that we feel to a problem prevents us from having a potent intention to solve it until it gets so unbearable that we are forced to act to gain relief from the disturbance to our peace-of-mind. In addition to a lack of intention, in many more cases it is due to a lack of knowledge about the formula to actually utilize for solving the problem, and in reality, any problem. What is this formula? It is outlined below:
Problem Solving Formula
- Acknowledge the problem (person, people, place, thing, event…could be anything as problems are self-evident).
- Identify the reason for the problem, or cause of it, and why it is a problem.
- Determine the nature of the problem: large, small, moderate; pervasive, non-pervasive; past, present or future; general or particular; material or immaterial; mental, emotional, spiritual, physical; old or new; personal, private, public, political; easy, difficult or moderate; a whole, or a part of a larger problem; growing, dying, stagnate.
- Identify the antithesis of the problem and all potential solutions, creating a list of the most effective, efficient and thorough ones.
- Determine what resources are needed to solve the problem.
- Activate those resources.
- Measure the progress and results.
- Simulate a reversion of the process to verify that the problem has been solved.
Breaking Down the Formula
Just like a mathematical equation, this formula must be followed in order for the correct solution to occur. Let’s evaluate each of the steps in this formula to gain a complete understanding of how to best implement it.
Acknowledgment is the first step. The problem could come in any form, but more often than not it will always be self-evident and clear. As long as we are ignoring a problem it will never be solved and will actually snowball into a larger issue. In addition to acknowledging the problem, we must recognize we have tremendous power to solve it, if we choose to do so.
The second step is identifying the reason, cause or origin of the problem, and why it is a problem rather than something innocuous. Without knowing the cause of the problem, it will persist after seemingly having been solved. The root of the problem is the most important part of the problem, the origin. This step should be very intuitive for a thinking person. After identifying the cause of the problem, the solution then becomes practically self-evident as well.
Next comes dissecting the problem to determine the nature of it. In this step we analyze the characteristics of the problem that we can start targeting. This is when we gain a thorough understanding of the priority of elements involved. We want to make sure that we always follow the natural hierarchy of importance when we solve problems and address the most important aspects first. After this step we are halfway to achieving the solution.
Unlike math, solutions to problems in other areas of life are usually the opposite of the issue. This is step four: identifying the antithesis of the problem. In this step we assess the potential solutions, or end results that we desire. From this comes the deliberate thought required to enact the desired outcome. Determining the end result that we desire is not enough to bring the solution into reality though.
We will need resources. This is step five. What resources are required to produce the desired effect? Sometimes we only need a few resources. Other times we need a lot more. However, the number one resource we will always need, which may be viewed as a constant in this equation, is energy. Mental energy and physical energy are always needed, which means we always take care of ourselves, our mind and our body.
Once we identify the necessary resources, we must activate them to take action. This step is much like mobilizing troops for deployment. We have to make sure that our resources match the magnitude and potency of the problem. Otherwise, our resources will be depleted and the problem will not be fully solved. We will have to recoup our resources and then activate them again. While we’re doing that, the problem could be festering and growing again making it harder to solve the next time around. So, when we activate our resources, we must ensure that we have enough and target the most vital parts of the problem.
After activating resources, we need to measure our progress and analyze the results. In this way we are able to gain certainty about achieving the desired result and we are not gambling with the outcome. We are also keeping track of our resources and preventing wasteful use of them. The magnitude of the problem should decrease linearly with the expenditure of resources. As the resources go down with the problem, the results should be going up toward the desired results. As we measure progress toward the solution, we will eventually reach it. Yet, anyone who has mastered problem solving knows that they must verify that they have solved the problem. Trust, but verify.
The last step is simulating a reversion of the process to make sure that there is a direct path from where we are to where we were before beginning the formula and solving the problem. This step is most similar to solving a problem in mathematics in which we do the opposite of the process to see if it yields the original problem. This process yields certainty, particularly with complex and larger problems.
Getting to the Satisfaction
Cause and effect are the underlying realities of the problem and the solution. Problems and solutions have a cause. Each problem is an effect as well as every solution. When a person realizes they are responsible for finding a solution, and they experience the satisfaction and reward of exercising that power they have, they tend to desire it more and more. This leads to a person becoming a high-performance individual, a master-problem-solver, and ultimately living the most fulfilling and rewarding life.
