#Problem-Solving

[thepersonalquotes]

Surrender is not an option, keep trying is the answer.

Auliq-Ice

[thepersonalwords]

Problems often become worse if incompetent people try to solve them.

Eraldo Banovac

[theemotionmachine]

The Five Whys Worksheet (PDF)

The “Five Whys” technique is an introspection exercise designed to dig into the root cause behind any problem and discover what’s really holding you back.

Learn more here!

[a-typical]

“The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.” ― Carl Sagan

[doomspaniels]

~Snippets from Around the Farm~

In the continuing guerilla warfare of Tristan vs Containment, the latest addition to our pasture gate is a PVC pipe to shrink the gap between the gate and the post. It's bolted in place with two chain link fence panel clamps, tightened down as far as possible so it won't spin.

The two previous adjustments, the landscape tiles & gravel under the gate and the secure gate latch continue to work well. Tristan simply continues to innovate. It's been at least three months, so the previous configuration had a good long run before Tristan managed to beat it again.

[educationaldm]

"D&D is a game that has a ton of educational benefits. At its core, the game can teach you teamwork, math, physics, problem-solving and quick decision-making. I think the two strongest benefits are the roleplaying aspects and creativity. Players can learn communication skills and how to think as someone else or outside the box, while a Dungeon Master can learn how to weave a story and foster teamwork as a leader. I think aspects from this game could easily be used in a classroom to make learning fun and memorable."

[raffaellopalandri]

Book of the Day – Upstream

Today’s Book of the Day is Upstream, written by Dan Heath in 2020 and published by Avid Reader Press / Simon Schuster. Dan Heath is a bestselling author, speaker, and researcher known for his work on business strategy, problem-solving, and decision-making. He and his brother Chip co-authored several influential books, including Made to Stick, Switch, and The Power of Moments. His works focus on…

[themontessoriacademyofarlington]

Early Childhood - Practical Life: Using a Dropper

Using a dropper to transfer liquid helps children develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination as they carefully control the dropper to move the liquid. It also enhances concentration and focus, as seen here where the student is deeply engaged in the task. Additionally, this exercise fosters a sense of independence and responsibility, as children learn to manage the materials and clean up any spills. 

This material also supports cognitive development, requiring students to plan and execute a series of steps, which enhances their problem-solving and critical thinking skills. They learn about cause and effect as they observe how the liquid moves and reacts to their actions. Additionally, the activity involves counting drops and measuring liquid, which introduces basic mathematical concepts. By engaging in this focused and purposeful work, children develop their ability to concentrate, follow sequences, and make decisions, all of which are crucial for cognitive growth.

[quotelr]

Believing in God is great, getting obsessed with it is the problem

Harrish Sairaman

[animakis]

Where can you reduce clutter in your life?

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of “stuff” in your life? Maybe it’s that closet you’ve been avoiding, a storage unit draining your wallet, or even the mental clutter of too many commitments. Reducing clutter isn’t just about making physical space—it’s about creating breathing room for peace of mind and freedom. If you’re ready to tackle the “visual noise” in your life, this…

[glass-expanse]

So, you're thinking about a problem.

Many such cases, my condolences. Maybe it's something you're frustrated by, or sad about, or is making you feel anxious. But! Regardless of how it's making you feel, it IS a problem, and you know that. Otherwise why would you be thinking about it?

But there's a question we can ask to figure out if thinking about that problem is making it worse, or better.

"HOW am I thinking about this problem?" Not why, not what is the problem... HOW. But what do I mean by this? When I ask how you're thinking about the problem, I want to identify whether you're STRESSING or SOLVING.

Now, especially if you're an overthinker, the line between these two things can be a bit blurred. "If I think enough about it, maybe I can fix it!" Easy mistake to make. So let's break down what the ACTUAL difference is between stressing and solving.

Stressing is the act of pulling yourself apart by thinking about your problem. It's characterized by sitting in the FEELINGS of your problem. "I feel frustrated, worried, sad." And then repeating those feelings in your head like an echo chamber. Sure, maybe you have an "I feel this BECAUSE of that" statement or two, but focusing on your feelings and where they stem from is stressing. You're gonna feel rotten.

Contrast this with solving. Take the "because" part(s) of your statement above, and look for solutions. When you are thinking in a solutions based mindset, you are actively seeking things you can do to improve the situation. Even if that solution is simply to change how you feel about it!

But notice-- the key difference here is about what we can control. We often hear that we can only control our attitudes... and while there are elements of truth, that's not the entirety of the story! When you are stressing, you are thinking and worrying about what you cannot control. When you are solving, you are choosing to control what you can (including your focus... Which in turn helps control your attitude).

Here's a simple example that I run into with irritating frequency. There are dirty dishes stacked in the sink, a basket of clean laundry waiting to be folded, not to mention troubles with someone who's giving me a hard time somewhere else. It's very easy for me to get stuck in stressing mode about this. I sit in the emotion of overwhelm and run through my mind those things that are causing me to be upset.

When I sit there, lost in the sauce of my thoughts, I am refusing to control what I can control by deciding to sit there actionless, and worrying about what I cannot control by running what someone said to me over and over in my head. So what an I do to stop stressing and start solving?

The first thing is to identify what you can and cannot control. Obviously, my dirty dishes and clean laundry are chores. They require simple action from me. By taking that action, I remove that point of stress. The counterpart to that is what someone said to me. I cannot control what they say or feel towards me. But I can control how I respond by being humble towards them, etc.

Now that I have identified what I can and cannot control, I can then choose what I'm going to do with that information. Clearly I've already figured out what each of those things make me feel. There's no use in repeating that if I've already been sitting in the Overwhelm for the past couple hours. So instead, I ought to decide how I'm going to act.

Having identified the controllable and uncontrollable aspects of my situation, my action steps should be aligned with how I have categorized what is stressing me. I should take the time to go do my dishes and laundry so that it's not bothering me anymore. And instead of feeling bad about what someone said to me, I should choose to not allow that to distract me, look at what self esteem issues it might be bringing up, and work on dealing with the root of my response to what was said rather than worrying about the intent of who said it. (Now, this response is certainly not universal, but according to my personal spiritual and moral beliefs, that is how I would approach that. If you think it's better to cut off someone who bothered you, you do you I guess, I don't have to condone your actions for you to do it. It's still an action step instead of soaking in how bad you feel about it.)

So there you go. Determine what you feel bad about. Determine why you're responding that way. Sort your concerns between controllable and uncontrollable. Act on the controllable and work on your reactions in the uncontrollable. Solve your problems instead of stressing on them. Be free of the overwhelm. Grow each day. God bless.

Brief disclaimer: I am well aware that both mental and physical illness can be an obstacle to action. This piece is intended to be a tool you can use, not a set of hard and fast rules that will fix everything. You are capable of more than you believe, it just might look different from what that other guy over there can do, and that's okay.

Bonus section for Christians

Remember to "cast all your cares on Christ, for He cares for you." Praying about your concerns and asking for wisdom can be an action step.

"We do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with us." He really does care, He understands being worried. Remember when He prayed in the garden? "If it be Your will, let this cup pass from me. But not my will, but Yours be done." He knows what it's like to be stressed... and He knows that the response to the uncontrollable is "Thy will be done."

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will make you paths straight." This passage gives us a couple clear actions. TRUST-- to lay down your burdens. ALL YOUR HEART-- holding back nothing from Him. LEAN NOT-- a negative command. YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING-- don't try to manipulate the situation or rely on your own ideas to solve them. ALL YOUR WAYS-- literally anything that comes in any day. ACKNOWLEDGE HIM-- involve Him in all your struggles, repeatedly calling to mind His truth and His omnipresence and omnipotence. And then, how glorious, the promise: HE WILL MAKE YOUR PATHS STRAIGHT-- He will ensure that you know where to put your foot next and He will do a complete job of preparing what is ahead even if He doesn't show it to us until we are there.

Anyway. God cares about your struggles. He wants you to call on Him. He wants you to choose action steps that glorify Him. He is preparing the way for you according to His will and perfect understanding, even when you can't see it. And talking to Him about the problem is by far more productive than sitting in it, because prayer and reading His Word is a conversation, and by praying you sre exercising humility to place your troubles at His feet. In that humility, you find relief and a stirring to correct action that you wouldn't find by just being your own echo chamber.

So go forth! Do not worry! Choose the good portion! Act in accordance with His will.

[thepersonalwords]

Think outside the square. Think for yourself don't just follow the herd. Think multidisciplinary! Problems by definition, cross many academic disciplines.

Lucas Remmerswaal, The A-Z of 13 Habits: Inspired by Warren Buffett

[365momme]

10 Educational Activities for Toddlers: Making Learning Fun

Photo by Brett Sayles on Pexels.com Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, gather ’round! Prepare to embark on a wildly entertaining journey into the world of education for the tiniest scholars. We present to you, with a dash of humor and a sprinkle of silliness, the top 10 educational activities for toddlers that will have them giggling their way to knowledge! Sensory Play: Get ready to squish,…

[a-typical]

“Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge.” ― Carl Sagan

[amalgamgooze]

a big achievement for me

This past week, I've been working on spinning cubes. I know it seems silly, but these cubes are representative of a huge personal accomplishment. Read more about it at the amalgamated blog!

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Hi all. Sorry if you were expecting a puzzle today. Since I’m not putting one out today, I’ll probably be putting one out tomorrow. I want to dedicate today to instead talk about a big personal accomplishment. Instead of making you wait, I’ll just show you what I’ve done, and then I’ll talk about it. It might not look like much at first, but to me, this is really big. It represents another…