Problems Revisited

Lately I've been reading a lot about problem solving. It's become almost an obsession of mine, as I'm starting to view life as less of a big ass hassle that is trying to keep me from enjoying it to a vast puzzle with many chances for me to find solutions. Our basic, and most fundamental survival skill is that we are creative problem-solvers.

Of course, sometimes our problems don't seem so basic and fundamental. Quite often, as society becomes more complex, our problems seem chaotic, intimidating, and even impossible. This is usually compounded by the fact that many problems have been growing for years. Most problems seem like Gordian Knots to us. We end up being Alexanders who cut through them instead of unwinding them. Some people believe this is the best way to handle the large problems. I'm not so sure though. I'm starting to think that most problems, even the big knotted up ones, have the core of being a basic problem. Basic problems can always be solved.

Now I'm not going to say I'm the total expert on this. However, after reading about  problem solving methods, I think there are some basic rules that can help you through it.

1. Summarize your problem in a single sentence.
   Yes, I know. I KNOW. Most of today's problems are bigger than a mere sentence. Our lives are complex and very full. Things have layers and additions and details. At least, this is how we like to view it. Really, mos problems CAN be reduced to one sentence. It's just that in a way, it's kind of scary to see it that way. "I can't get the kids to wake up on time." "I can't pay my rent." "I can't make myself work out." "I can't keep the house clean." "I can't find love."
   
2. Think about whether or not you really, truly WANT to solve this problem.
   You may be thinking, 'well of course I do,' but even as you think that, you know part of you really doesn't. Too often in life, we waste our time trying to fix things that we really don't want to fix. Why do we do this? Usually social pressure. "People say I should get married, so I guess I should fix the problem of being single." "People say I should stop smoking, so I guess I should stop smoking."
   
   Look, and this is probably the most important part of this post, if YOU do not truly wish to solve a problem, it will not be solved. It can't be solved for other people. It can't be solved because you think it's the right thing. Unless you really, really want to solve it, you will always sabotage yourself. It's not what you want and part of you is always going to rage against you trying to go against your own will.
   
3. Make a declaration of your goal. Write your goal down. Blog about it. Tell others about it. Put a note on your mirror. Make it the thing your phone says to you. Keep this goal around you as much as possible. The physical statement of it should always be near you. "I will lose 30 lbs." "I will balance my check book." "I will get an A in French." When you wake up in the morning, say your goal to yourself. When you go to bed at night, say it again. Make it a part of your life, not some vague dream. Live with the desire of your goal. Make it a real fact inside you.
   
4. Collect data. Write down ways you have tried to accomplish your goal before. Keep a journal of any activity connected to the goal. Do spread sheets of time you work on the goal and what happens. This step is important because you can't really discern why you aren't accomplishing your goal unless you know what activities are going on with it in the moment.
   
   For instance, let's say your goal is to save $400.00 a month. The first month you try to do this, you save about ten dollars. You're confused because you knew you set a goal and you have no idea why it didn't happen (this sounds simplistic, but face it, a lot of us have done this). The next month, make a note of everything you purchase. Note the time, the location, the day. EVERYTHING. Now, don't try to change anything yet. Don't try to make it better than it really is. Just go about life the way you normally do. The key is that you write down everything that has to do with money.
   
5. Analyze your data. Keeping with our example from 4, let's say you have a spread sheet of your money spending. You now know where all of your cash went. You also know when you would spend it and what on. As you examine your data, you will begin to see patterns.  "Oh, every time I go to the book store, I buy no books, but spend at least twenty bucks on coffee and a sandwich." "If I skip dinner before going to the movie, I spend more money on snacks than I would just grabbing something before I left."
   
6.  Experiment with changes. I say experiment here because not all changes will work for you, or at least, not all changes will work at first. It may take several different tactics before you find a change that really works for you.
   
   For instance, my roommate and I always set a goal to keep the electricity average from increasing. For us, the biggest obstacle to this is always the AC usage during the summer. The first couple of years in the new house, we tried closing off everything except for the living room. The bill still went up. As we started analyzing why, we realized that the hotter it was, the more power the kitchen appliances would use in order to stay cool. After all, summers in my area could result in a kitchen that was 100 degrees.
   
   This year, instead of closing off the kitchen, we left it open. This meant the AC didn't cool down the living room as much as before, because it had a larger area to handle. However, it also meant that the kitchen didn't get so horribly hot. The appliances weren't struggling to stay cool and didn't run nearly as much.
   
   This alteration in the plan paid off. Our average was reduced by ten dollars. 

In Altered States, Edward Jessup spends a night as a primitive human. He tells his wife that his only drives were to eat, drink, sleep, and survive. He then tells her that having accomplished that, he'd never felt so satisfied in his life. Our basic blueprints as humans are to solve problems. Solving them gives us satisfaction and makes us feel accomplished. Our problems can be daunting and often, they are ongoing and complex. However, if we can find ways to simplify them and work on then every day, we can and will find solutions. We are a creative group. There is very little we can't solve, once we truly set our minds to it.