Sometimes to go forward, you have to step sideways. That's a bit of wisdom that has served me well throughout the years. Over the past few days, I've been trying to figure out how to apply to my life right now. How to deflect the current problems so that I can attack them from a different direction. To use a cliche, to think outside the box. So far I've not really come up with anything, but I think a solution is lurking out there. I can almost feel it, catch a glimpse of it out of the corner of my mind.
I'm trying to not force the solution out of hiding. My experience has been that the more I push, the more something will stubbornly elude me. It's better, for me, to approach a problem almost like play or a game. To turn it around in my mind, see all the angles, and then attempt to find one more. Most times it works. I hope it does this time.
How do you approach problem solving? Do you take a straight ahead path or do you wander around a bit but finally arrive at where you were going? Let me know how you do it. I'm always willing to learn something new.
8 comments:
I usually just ignore it in hopes it will go away. It works for me!
I ask for lots of advice. The more I mull it over, with objective point of views, the more ideas seem to come. Sometimes, you have to step aside in order to see all angles. Eventually, the only way through, however, is to face it head on. But it sure helps to be armed with the "What lurks around the corners" should the obstacle decide to side step as well.
The right answer--the one I strive for--is to deal with the prob squarely in the face. But my actions show I usually avoid the prob until it's (nearly) too late and make a mad rush to solve it. The latter approach tends to antagonize folks so I have a new prob which I then....
If you have no idea what to do, then do nothing.
If you have an idea, try it.
I've been trying to adopt a more prayerful and quiet approach to life's problems. I tend to react to a situation. Often I react without thinking. In the past few months, I've tried to set aside "quiet time." It's hard when life is so busy, but I think it's helping.
I'm a sideways man myself! Or sometimes a turn and run away man!
When I am up against a really tough one, I'll turn it over to God in prayer, examine it to see if there's a clear solution using a rational approach. If there's not, then I wait for guidance. That's the other side of turning it over, I think, is waiting for the answer you ask for. Often the problem will become smaller, or disappear completely, without me having to take an action. If it doesn't, then the right action usually becomes apparent at the right time.
If I'm facing a major problem or a decision I generally mull it over for a while, I ask for advice from others, I look at all sides of it and sleep on it a while, and then after more serious thought and prayer I to do what seems to be the right thing at the time. I generally do not make decisions quickly, but I find that this process sometimes allows time to work things out, or allows a problem to go away, which is always a nice outcome.
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