Problem Solving – Sometimes You Have to Sit a While and Think

Nobody said that problem solving would be easy, but I’m here to tell you that it must be done, so let’s figure out how to do it. We all have various problems to solve, and often we just need to “work the problem” a bit to figure out a good answer. Often, getting a second opinion is a good idea, and sometimes that second opinion can come from you. It can come from you if you let it. Often, that means you need to sit a while and think about the problem and possible solutions.

When I moved into my house in 2002, I was cautioned not to make any changes to the house right away. That was good advice, and I promised myself not to make any changes for at least one year. I figured that would give me plenty of time to determine what changes were needed to how best to make them.

Here I am more than 7 years later, and I haven’t made any changes to the house, but for the most part, I know exactly what those changes ought to be. I know about them because I allowed myself plenty of time to think about them and to “live with the changes” in my mind. Giving myself enough time has allowed me to know better how to reconfigure steps to the basement, where a pantry ought to be built, where the main entrance to the house needs to be, and how to create a new “back way” into the house that doesn’t involve going through the garage.

Sometimes, we just have to sit a while and think about problems that need to be solved. Sometimes the “back burner” is the best place to do your problem solving. It’s a good way to help you allow the solution to “come to you” when you least expect it. If you don’t give yourself enough time to solve problems, you’ll likely make bad decisions that cost you time, money, emotion, health, personal satisfaction and peace of mind.

______________________________

Clair Schwan recognizes that he’s a good thinker, but not necessarily a fast one. That’s okay, because sometimes problem solving is a lot like a gun fight – it doesn’t matter who shoots first or the most, it’s who hits what they’re aiming at.