How to solve a problem in six steps

How to solve a problem in six steps

How you deal with challenges often determines your success and happiness. If you're stuck and don't know how to solve a problem, try defining it and breaking it into smaller pieces. Choose whether to approach the problem logically or have to think about how the outcome will make you feel. Find ways to approach your problems creatively by working with other people and approaching the problem from a different perspective.

We offer you six steps to successfully resolve a problem:

1. Define the problem. Find the real problem, not just the symptoms that result from the problem. When you define the problem, don't consider the things that are extraneous, just what the actual problem is. You can look at the rest of the questions later. Familiarize yourself with the problem and fully understand it.

For example, if your room is constantly messy, the problem may not be that you are a messy person. You may be lacking containers or places to organize your items.

Try to be as clear and thorough as possible when defining the problem. If it's a personal problem, be honest with yourself about the causes of the problem. If it's a logistical problem, pinpoint exactly where and when the problem occurs.

Determine if the problem is real or self-created. Do you need to fix this problem or is it something you want? Putting things into perspective can help you navigate the problem-solving process.

2. Make important decisions first. Acknowledge the decisions you need to make and how they will contribute to solving your problem. Making decisions can help you move forward in solving your problems, so start by deciding what to focus on, what you need to do, and how you're going to go about doing it.

For example, you may have several problems to solve and need to decide which ones to tackle first. Solving one problem can relieve tension or take the stress out of another problem.

Once you've made a decision, don't doubt yourself. Be prepared to look forward from this point forward without wondering what would have happened if you had chosen something else.

3. Simplify the problem. An overly complex problem may seem insurmountable and difficult to solve. If there are multiple problems, break them into smaller parts and deal with them individually. If you can break down the problem into its smallest terms, it will help you understand it and find a solution.

For example, if you have to turn in a lot of assignments to pass a class, focus on how many you have to do and check them off one at a time.

Try to combine and solve problems together whenever possible. For example, if you're running out of study time, try listening to a recorded lecture while walking to class, or flipping through notes while waiting for dinner.

Try to get information about the problem to get clarity around it. It can even help you separate emotion from fact, which can help you in your decision-making process.

4. Outline what you know and don't know. Familiarize yourself with the knowledge and information you already have. Then search for what you need. Get all the information you can, then organize it in a way that makes sense.

For example, if you're trying to pass a cumulative test, figure out what you already know and what you need to study for. Review everything you already know, then start learning more information from your notes, textbook, or other resources, that can help you.

5. Predict future results. Come up with a plan B (or more) so you're not locked into one decision. Once you've come up with possible solutions, think about how each of them would play out. Consider the possible outcomes and how they would affect you and those around you. Create the best and worst case scenarios in your imagination.

Pay attention to how these scenarios make you feel.

6. Allocate your resources. Your resources can include time, money, effort, travel, and more. If solving the problem is a top priority, you may need to devote more resources to solving the problem than you would otherwise. Think about what resources you have that you can contribute to solving your problem.

For example, if you have a deadline, you can skip cooking dinner or going to the gym so you can spend that time on your project.

Reduce unnecessary tasks whenever possible. For example, they might have your groceries delivered to you to save you time shopping. You can spend that time on other tasks instead.

We also show you a wonderful video by Milena Goleva - How to solve our problems: