Problem Solving

There are two main things that will be important to figuring out any problem:


 * get clear on what your actual goal is
 * know (or learn) how things work

Ends (goals)
Figuring out your ends. What is the real problem? Or what do you really want?


 * Why you should figure out what your goals really should be, instead of assuming you know
 * How to figure this out

Why you should start with figuring out goals
[see also: the pros and cons of using proxy-goals]

How to figure out goals

 * look closer at assumed goal, split into parts
 * make sure your "goal" isn't actually just an assumed solution/plan. Split means from ends.
 * is there more than one goal? List all the criteria that you want a good solution to have
 * go deeper:
 * is this goal itself a means to achieve some other end? [the answer will practically ALWAYS be "yes"]
 * if you're trying to solve a problem, how does the problem actually work?

[see also: splitting and contextualizing]

Means (solutions)
Figuring out a means of achieving the goals. How can you get what you want?

How things work, especially things "right next to" the goal. And repeat, until you have a chain from here to there.

Satisfying multiple criteria [even if they seem to conflict]

[working backwards vs forwards?]