How to be a Better Problem Solver

Written By Colēgia

Problem-solving is a core skill that cannot be emphasized enough and the further we go in life the more we will need to critically think about how to do this. Today we want to take some time to discuss how to improve your problem-solving skills and why this is relevant.

Gather Information

One of the best first steps to problem-solving is to gather your information. In order to truly figure out how to best work on something, we need to identify what the problem is along with all the components within it. A good example of this is whether someone is experiencing a financial-related problem. Rather than simply assuming what to do, we need to understand what they are experiencing. A good way to do this is to clearly ask what the problem is? In the finance example, we also need to consider income and how much of it would be going to mandatory things and then work from there. Not every problem will be completely logic-based, we need to also consider the emotional weight of a problem as well. A good example of this would be reflecting on how you feel about a particular problem and giving yourself the space to assess it. Some things aren't as clear-cut, but by evaluating how you feel you can mitigate making a decision completely based on logic or emotion and focus on choosing a balanced approach.

“One of the best first steps to problem-solving is to gather your information.”

Consider Your Options

When it comes to problem-solving, there are usually several different routes you can take to achieve something. Being able to weigh your options for something is good in that it can help you make a more informed decision. One example of this is how you want to pay for higher education. There are several routes to this. One means of this would be to dedicate extra time toward improving grades to help fund scholarships. Another option would be to work part-time while still doing school. Student loans would also be another choice as well. Each of these comes with its own pros and cons and what works for one person may be different for another. Sometimes we can opt for a combination of each of these but we do need to consider things such as financial need and whether we qualify for this.

“When it comes to problem-solving, there are usually several different routes you can take to achieve something.”

Review Your Decision

Once we have all of our information and our options we'll eventually need to decide what to do and when to act on it. Some problems may be difficult but they are things we will need to work out. Putting things into motion is helpful as we want our information to help us make the best possible decision. While it may be tempting to critically overthink something after the fact, it's good to recognize that hindsight can be 20-20. With that in mind, reviewing how things went can also be beneficial as it can give you insight into whether to make that kind of decision for problem-solving in the future again or to take a different route.

Colēgia

Colēgia

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