added by Stuart Evans · updated 2y ago
Stop Running Headfirst into Problems
- If you’re currently plateaued at something, chances are you’re hitting some constraint. There is something that is stopping you from getting better at the thing, and if you don’t identify that constraint and try to fix it you’ll get nowhere.—David R. MacIver
from On limitations that hide in your blindspot by Henrik Karlsson
muizz added
take note of oddities and the reason you think they are odd immediately you notice it — that information is more helpful than routine action in pursuit of a goal.
ignoring anxieties we feel in the moment prevents us from working towards understanding and overcoming them… unless they show up again (at which point it’s become a symptom of something larger)
“Why is this so hard? Because you’re utterly habituated to steady progress—to completing things, to producing, to solving. When progress is subtle or slow, when there’s no clear way to proceed, you flinch away. You redirect your attention to something safer, to something you can do. You jump to implementation prematurely; you feel a co
... See morefrom Cultivating Depth and Stillness in Research by Andy Matuschak
sari and added
- A complex problem cannot be simplified. If you can simplify it, then it isn’t a complex problem. You may choose to focus energy on a key leverage point, or establish one or more enabling constraints. To make progress, you may choose to selectively ignore things, blur your vision, or think in broad strokes. These approaches will reduce cognitive loa... See more
from TBM 28/52: First Focus. Then Simplify by John Cutler
Fernando del Campo added
“Fall in love with problems rather than solutions.”
-from ‘Non-Obvious Thinking’ by Rohit Barghava and Ben DuPont
Forest Linden added
- Some problems are like muddy puddles. The way to clear a muddy puddle is to leave it alone. The more you mess with it, the muddier it becomes. Many of the problems I dream up when I'm overthinking or worrying or ruminating fall into this category. Is life really falling apart or am I just in a sour mood? Is this as hard as I'm making it or do I jus... See more
from Superhuman
Britt Gage and added
