Typical Ways to Solve Problems

 Saturday, September 14, 2013 

Life is full of challenges. If there’s one thing you can count on in this life, it’s that you’ll have to deal with a few problems now and then.

Our problems come in all shapes and sizes. Some problems can be a little irritating, while others can block out the sun. Some can be quite predictable, while others can come out of nowhere and blindside you. Some problems can drive you completely nuts, while others can inspire you to new heights that you can’t even imagine. But one thing is for sure, we all have a few obstacles in our path.

Since encountering problems is just part of our human experience, an important question for each of us is:

“How do I solve my problems?”

There are several typical ways people go about solving their problems.

Most people begin by using the same methods that have worked for them in the past. It just makes sense to repeat actions that were successful in similar situations. This way seems to work pretty good for most folks, especially as we get older and wiser. When you use this method, you’re generally using analogies.

Another common way to solve problems is to find someone else who has already solved your problem. You could ask a family member or friend for advice. This method works well if you know someone who has had the same problem, especially someone who has found a solution you like. For some problems, you can even ask an expert in the field, such as, a doctor or a lawyer.

Another way is to teach yourself how to solve your problem. Using this method you’d research a specific topic, learn as much as you can, and evaluate the alternatives you’ve found.

The methods listed above are the typical choices most people try when they attempt to solve their problems.

But many people come to my web site with a bigger question.

“What do I do when I’ve exhausted all of my regular methods for solving my problem?”

Do you keep trying to do the same things over-and-over again expecting a different result? That’s crazy.

Do you just give up? Do you live with your problem and try to adjust to some kind of new normal? Or worse, do you live in complete denial? Unfortunately, that’s exactly what lots of people do. As a man much wiser than I once said, “Don’t give up ... don’t ever give up!” - Jimmy Valvano.

I don’t want you to give up, either. That's the main reason I created the Discover Your Solutions web site and put together all these problem-solving tools. To give you another chance … to give you alternative methods to solve your problems … to give you hope.

Many of the alternatives that I’ve presented in this web site are structured analytic methodologies. That's a fancy way of saying, they’re structured approaches you can use to analyze your problem and create solutions.

I think one of the greatest things about structured problem-solving is that it’s a skill that you can use for rest of your life. In-other-words, it’s a skill you can apply to almost any problem you’ll encounter in the future. As the saying goes …

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” - ancient Chinese

So now it’s up to you. Do you quit? Or do you take advantage of the problem-solving opportunities I’ve presented here and attack your problem?

by Keith Glein, Founder & CEO