When I tackle a problem, I tend to do so with words. For me, finding the solution often hinges on the right term, nuance, or turn of phrase to express an abstract idea. I quite literally talk (or write) myself through things, even when the problem isn’t about writing.
Words are the framework of my world, but I’m aware that’s not the case for everyone.
If I’m a linguistic problem-solver, then some of my friends are definitely visual problem-solvers who prefer diagrams and schematics. Others are social problem-solvers, whose first instinct is to seek collaboration.
Just as people learn in different ways, I can imagine a whole spectrum of problem-solving techniques that appeal to different people and work best in different situations. An artist sees the world as shades of color, an architect as expanses of space, a designer as a combination of the two. But right now, I’m curious about what works for you.
What kind of problem-solver are you? How does that affect which problems you choose to address? How does it change the way you see the world?
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“He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.” – Muhammad Ali
It’s true – nothing great can be accomplished without risk. But that doesn’t mean we have to take all the risks at the beginning.
The way I see it, there are two main ways to start anything: with a bold leap of faith, or a with a quiet step forward.
You can quit your job and move across the country to build your dream company – or you can work on it a few hours each day after dinner, making the transition only after you’ve laid a strong foundation.
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Can you believe it’s already March? Two months since the new year began, and two months into a new decade. What are you working on? Have your plans for the year changed?
The last month has been a busy one here at The Art of Great Things. In just a few weeks, our community has doubled in size to over 2,000 readers. A warm welcome to you all!
In February, I was fortunate enough to make many new friends and get to know old some old friends even better. I’m so grateful to have met Everett (who has a great ebook!), Sam, Jarred, Amber, Ted, and Michael (who wrote a great book!)
And I was glad for the opportunity to stay in touch with Mike, Sibyl, Anastasiya, Eric, and everyone who’s commented on my posts – there are too many wonderful people to list here. Email me! I hope you’ve enjoyed our conversations as much as I have.
Also, a HUGE thank you to February’s guest authors! I couldn’t have done it without you.
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Author’s Note: This is a guest post from Eric Fulweiler of Opinion at Large.
Why do we find certain activities easier than others? It’s so easy for us to sit down and watch a 3-hour baseball game (at least, for some of us), but it’s so hard for us to sit down for 3 hours and write a Powerpoint presentation. Part of it is certainly because baseball is more entertaining than Powerpoint (again, for some of us), but the bigger issue here is the standards and expectations that we have created for ourselves.
We have standards embedded within our mentality that dictate the ease and attractiveness of certain activities. We have chosen to believe that baseball is easier than Powerpoint. And these choices have resulted in standards that frequently present obstacles to our personal or professional productivity.
But for those of us who accept that we can control these standards, we can realign them to further our goals, and significantly increase our productivity and potential.
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The central question of my life: How will I be remembered?
On some level, this isn’t a question I can fully answer; it’ll be up to everyone who outlives me (a little scary, when I think too hard about it). But while I can’t control what other people think about me, I can control the raw material I give them to work with. I can control what I try, where I spend my time, what I share.
And here’s another obstacle.
When we talk about our goals, we can usually come up with something reasonably concrete:
- I want to make a million dollars.
- I want to live with 100 things (or less).
- I want to write a bestselling novel.
- I want to found a charity.
These goals may take years to achieve, but they give you something concrete to aim at. It’s possible to turn these goals into action. But when we talk about legacy, on the other hand, we tend to paint some pretty abstract pictures:
- I want to be remembered as a good father or mother.
- I want to be remembered as a great humanitarian
- I want to be remembered as a genius.
Why do we describe legacy in such vague terms? I’m not sure. Perhaps it’s because legacy requires us to think outside of ourselves and imagine what other people will say about us in the future. Either way, we ought to spend a little more time thinking about the big pictures of our lives and how we translate them into What am I going to do today?
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