Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 4: Understanding the problem
• Part 2 of 4: Designing a plan
• Part 3 of 4: Implementing and reviewing the plan
• Part 4 of 4: Further improve your skills

The ability to solve problems applies in more areas than just math homework. Analytical thinking and problem-solving skills are part of many jobs, ranging from accounting and computer programming to detective work and even creative professions such as art, acting and writing. While individual problems differ, there are certain general approaches to problem solving, such as those first proposed by mathematician George Polya in 1945. By following his four principles - Understanding the Problem, Devising a Plan, Executing the Plan, and Look Back - you can improve your problem-solving skills and systematically tackle any problem.

To step

Part 1 of 4: Understanding the problem

1. Define the problem clearly. This is a seemingly simple but important step. If you don't understand the problem, your solutions may be ineffective or even fail altogether. To define the problem you will have to ask questions and look from different angles. For example, is there a problem, or are there in fact several? Can you rephrase the problem in your own words? By spending time on the problem, you will understand it better and be equipped to find solutions.
   • Try to formulate questions. Let's say you are a student and have very little money and want to find an effective solution. What's the problem? Is it one of income - are you not making enough money? Is it one of overspending? Or maybe you have unexpected expenses or your financial situation has changed?
2. Define your goal. Set your goal as another way of approaching the nature of the problem. What do you want to achieve? What do you want to discover? Keep in mind that you need to consider the known and unknown factors of the problem and figure out where to find data that will help you achieve your goal.
   • Suppose your problem is still money. What is your goal? You may never have enough to go out on the weekend and have fun at the cinema or club. You decide your goal is to have more money to spend. Good! With a clear goal, you have better defined the problem.
3. Gather information systematically. Along with defining your problem and purpose, you need to gather as much facts about the problem as possible to get a clear picture of it. Collect data, ask people or experts connected to the problem, search for sources, online, on paper or elsewhere. Once you have data, organize it. Try to do this by using different words, summarizing or summarizing it. Maybe you can even draw it out in a graph. You don't have to take this step for simple problems, but for the more complex ones it will be essential.
   • For example, to solve your money shortage, you would like a clear picture of your financial situation. Collect data from your latest bank statements and by talking to a bank employee. Track your earnings and spending habits in a notebook, then create a spreadsheet or chart to show your income next to your expenses.

Part 2 of 4: Designing a plan

1. Analyze information. The first step in finding a solution is to look at the data you have collected about the problem and analyze its importance. When you analyze, you will look for links and relationships in the hope that you will better understand the overall situation. Start with the raw data. Sometimes information will have to be broken into smaller, more manageable parts, or put in order of importance or relevance. Things like diagrams, graphs, or cause and effect models are useful tools for doing this.
   • Let's say you have now collected all of your bank statements. Look at it. When, how and from where does your money come? Where, when and how do you spend it? What is the overall pattern of your finances? Do you have a net surplus or a shortage? Are there any unexplained matters?
2. Generate possible solutions. Say you've looked at your data and noticed that you have a net shortage of resources - that is, you spend more than you take in. The next step is to generate some possible solutions. You don't have to rate them now. Try brainstorming, for example, or brainstorming the other way around. This includes asking yourself "How can I possibly be causing the problem?" and then reverse the answers you generate. You can also ask others what they would do.
   • Your problem is a shortage of money. Your goal is to have more spending space. What are your options? Come up with possible solutions without evaluating them. You may be able to get more money by taking a part-time job or by applying for a student loan. On the other hand, you can try to save by limiting your expenses or cutting other costs.
   • Use strategies to help you come up with solutions:
     • Divide and conquer. Break the problem into smaller problems and brainstorm solutions for each individual, one by one.
     • Use analogies and similarities. Try to find a match with a previously solved or common problem. You may find commonalities between your situation and one that you have dealt with before, you may be able to adopt some of the solutions to use now.
3. Evaluate the solutions and choose. Just as you had to analyze the raw data of the problem, you will also have to analyze all possibilities for suitability. In some cases this may mean testing a scenario or conducting an experiment; in other cases it may mean using a simulation or a "thought experiment" to see the consequences of a given solution. Choose a solution that best fits your needs, seems to work and doesn't create new problems.
   • How can you collect money? Look at expenses - you don't spend much outside of basic necessities like study, food and housing. Can you cut costs in other ways, such as finding a roommate to share the rent? Can you afford to take a student loan just to have fun on the weekends? Can you save time from your studies to work part-time?
   • Each solution will produce its own conditions that need evaluation. Make forecasts. Your money problem will require you to make budgets. But it will also require personal considerations. For example, can you save on basic needs such as food and housing? Are you willing to prioritize money over school or take out a loan?

Part 3 of 4: Implementing and reviewing the plan

1. Perform a solution. Once you have chosen the best solution, implement it. You can initially do this on a limited pilot scale to test the results. Or you can go all out. Keep in mind that unexpected problems may arise at this stage, things that you did not anticipate during your initial analysis and evaluation, especially if you have not properly structured the problem.
   • You decide to cut costs because you weren't willing to take out a loan, take time off from school, or live with a roommate. You create a detailed budget, saving a few euros here and there, and commit to a one-month trial period.
2. Assess and evaluate the outcome. Now that you have implemented a solution, you will need to review and evaluate the results. Ask yourself if the solution works. Can you achieve your goal because of this? Are there any unexpected new problems? Assess the problem and your troubleshooting process.
   • The results of your trial period have been mixed. On the one hand, you have saved enough during the month for fun weekend activities. But there are new problems. You find yourself having to choose between spending money and buying basic necessities such as food. You also need a new pair of shoes, but cannot afford it on your budget. You may need a different solution.
3. Adjust it as needed. Keep in mind that troubleshooting is done in cycles. It will generate a number of different potential solutions, all of which must be evaluated. If you solve the problem, you have found a suitable solution. If not, then you have to look for another solution and start the process over. Rethink your original solution and adjust if it doesn't work. Try a different solution, implement it and evaluate the outcome. Repeat this process until you finally fix the problem.
   • After a month, you decide to leave your first budget and look for part-time work. You will find a work-and-learn job on campus. After making a new budget, you now have extra money without taking too much time away from your studies. With this you can have an effective solution.

Part 4 of 4: Further improve your skills

1. Do mental training regularly. Like a muscle in your body, you need to work on problem solving if you want to improve strength and functionality over time. In other words, you will have to “practice” regularly. Studies show that brain games make you more flexible mentally. There are several games or activities you can try.
   • Word games work fine. For example, in a game like “Split Words” you have to combine parts of words to form words in a particular theme, such as “philosophy”. In the game “Tower of Babel” you will have to memorize and then combine words in another language with the correct picture.
   • Math games will also test your problem solving skills. Be it number problems or word problems, you will have to activate those parts of your brain that analyze information. For example, “James is now half his age when he is 60 years older than six years before he was half his age. How old will James be when his age is double what it is 10 years after he was half his current age? ”
2. Play video games. Video games have long been viewed as "intellectually lazy". But new research shows that playing video games can improve parts of thinking, such as spatial perception, reasoning, and memory. However, not all games are created equal. While first person shooter games can improve your spatial perception, they are not as effective as others for developing problem solving skills.
   • Play something that will force you to think strategically or analytically. Try a puzzle like Tetris. Or maybe you prefer to play a role-playing game or a strategy game. In that case, something like “Civilization” or “Sim-City” might suit you better.
3. Start with a hobby. A hobby is another way you can keep improving your problem-solving skills. Choose something that either includes active problem solving or activates appropriate parts of your brain. For example, start learning a foreign language. Language functions in both halves of the brain, so learning it will activate parts that control analysis, reasoning and problem solving.
   • Web design, software programming, jigsaw puzzles, Sudoku and chess are also hobbies that will force you to think strategically and systematically. Any of these will help you improve your problem-solving skills in general.