Grounding questions

When I find myself unsure of how to move forward in a situation, I drop back to a few simple questions to ground myself. It's easy to get spun off in too many directions and caught up in too many details to the point of being far off track from the original problem I was trying to solve.

Naturally, the most important one is “what problem am I trying to solve here?”. Often when I start attempting to solve a problem, it leads to more problems that must be solved. Now my focus has shifted.

This repeats, and suddenly I’m off course and not making progress on the original problem I was focused on. By keeping myself grounded in the problem to be solved, I can avoid these unproductive spirals.

The second is “what constraints am I working under?”. These are important details because problems often have many solutions. Knowing the constraints clearly helps narrow down the viable solutions.

Lastly, the most important question is “why?”. This applies to both the original problem as well as the constraints.

I often find that questioning “why” a problem is being solved or “why” a constraint exists clarifies and contextualizes those details for a deeper understanding. Even better, asking "why" can reveal that some constraint I think I am operating under is not a constraint at all, and I can simply disregard it.

In the absolute best case, if I can’t come up with a reason why I am solving the original problem in the first place, then I can stop wasting my energy and refocus my priorities.

My time is limited, and wasting it solving problems that aren’t worth solving is a quick way to rob myself of the opportunity to make real progress on goals that truly matter.

Taking the time to ensure I have crystal clear and concise answers to these questions is essential. I highly recommend it. Like anything, with practice it can become second nature. Part of the trick is noticing when I've veered off course. Then I can ask myself these questions and get back on track.