Problem solving

There are many useful skills in life, and problem solving is a fundamentally important one. It is connected to a lot of other skills, and you can think of it as the DNA of skill. Every skill solves a problem.

I learned a lot from consciously exercising problem-solving in my life. Problems don’t exist in isolation; they have other problems that support them. There are times when I encountered a problem, and efforts to solve it exposed many other problems connected to it.

A crucial step in solving a problem is to identify enablers and other connected problems. As you map out the connections, it will be easier for you to understand what is happening and why. That’s when effective solutions can be formulated.

Sometimes the solution to your problem lies in solving other connected problems. You have to know which problem to deal with and when, and also how your solution will affect the other connected problems. Solving a smaller, less obvious problem sometimes eliminates your other problems, through domino effect.