Problem solving your way to a better future
I always feel a little pang of sadness and frustration when I encounter someone with no desire to figure out a problem. I wonder how they lost their curiosity. Was it something not encouraged in their home or at school, or is it the result of easy access to online information? To me, life really is about problem solving; finding patterns, using logic, and being creative. It’s about losing and learning from failure so you can win next time.
Maybe access to an enormous amount of information has cultivated a culture that has become less curious in exploring beyond the obvious. Maybe an abundance of schools focusing on test scores has trickled down to students who aren’t as concerned with learning as they are with the final grade. Maybe it’s parents who are so skilled at being resourceful that they continue to do things for their children that they should be able to do themselves. Maybe it’s a fear of failure.
Sometimes problems can be overwhelming and you feel like you’re sinking amidst the chaos of uncertainty while trying to figure out your next move. If you never try to figure it out, then your problems will likely get worse. More embedded and difficult to solve.
Asking for help is something we should all do, however asking someone to solve your problem for you will limit your ability to figure things out on your own. You can start by putting aside the negative thinking because that will defeat you before you begin. Negative thoughts reflect our fear of failure (at least they do for me), so it’s best to avoid them when entering a problem solving mindset.
Problem solving requires creativity. In order to spark creativity, one needs to train to identify patterns, then break those established patterns. Look at your problem from different perspectives. It’s expected that you’ll get stumped, but it’s important that you learn. More than that, that you actually want to learn; that you’re curious.
As parents, it’s so much easier to just do things for our kids. Why waste time having your kid muddle through and possibly fail at something that you can knock out pronto? Skills like organizing and decision-making are so important to kids to learn so that they can build their own skills to mature into a resourceful human. In fact, lack of these types of skills contributes to anxiety and stress, which makes sense right? Psychology Today has a helpful article with specific ways to help make develop competence and resourcefulness with your child.
For older children or adults who may struggle with problem solving or being resourceful, I strongly believe that trying to reignite a spark of curiosity in your life is key. When you adopt more of a curious and playful mindset, you’re seeing yourself up to explore and dive in to figure things out. Plus, it’s fun to solve a puzzle right? Problems are tough to solve, no doubt, but at least you can start by having a willingness to try, to fail and learn.
