So many times I have had a sense of feeling overwhelmed, not knowing what to do next or how. And then I remember one of the more clever song lines from of all places, the Sound of Music! Julie Andrews sang:
“Let start at the very beginning - a very good place to start.”
I learned this lesson on the first day of my professional career, when I was given a task for which I had no training (and a charge out rate of $16/hour, which was a lot of money in those days). I spend the rest of that day and the start of the following day just puzzled and totally overwhelmed. And then it dawned on me what the problem was: I did not know where to start. So I started at what was the obvious first step. I have seen the same challenge countless times when students complete exams: they don’t know where to begin an exam question.
Acknowledging that one does not know where to start is very helpful when it comes to problem solving. So often we start in the middle or near the end of the solution process, only to backtrack, go sideways and finally come up with a mediocre conclusion.
Mindfully pausing, carefully defining the challenge, admitting to yourself you are lost and deliberately planning a way forward, can seem so unnatural. But it works!! Eventually seeking out the origin of the problem and an organized sequential path forward might become your pattern of problem solving and decision making.
Pausing and planning is a very efficient and effective strategy. Carefully defining the first few steps in the solution process works very well. Then check the task regularly to see whether you seem to be on the correct path.
Starting at the beginning is a very good place to start.
Reflection Source: www.Smallercup.org
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