[Series 015] "So, What's the Actual Problem?" - The Power of Problem Definition
[Series 015] "So, What's the Actual Problem?" - The Power of Problem Definition 1. 55 Minutes to Think, 5 Minutes to Solve Albert Einstein is famously quoted as saying: "If I had an hour to solve a problem I'd spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions." We usually do the opposite. When we hit a snag—whether it's a dip in our savings, a fight with a friend, or a project going off the rails—we spend less than a minute thinking before we jump straight to "solutions." "Should I switch gyms?" "Should I just text them sorry?" "Should I pull an all-nighter?" We rush because we're anxious. But applying a solution to a poorly defined problem is like climbing a ladder leaning against the wrong wall. It doesn't matter how fast you climb; you won't get where you want to go. If a problem persists, ...