Heretics Need to be Inspired to Action

It can be discouraging sometimes, being a heretic. It is the nature of the business. 

To stay on track you need to be inspired to action. There are people who will tell you that you are doing everything wrong and people who will tell you that everything is going to be great. What you really need is someone to tell you what you need to find in yourself to move forward and what is at stake. 

Here are some bloggers who do this regularly and some of their best articles on the subject.

Chris Brogan: http://www.chrisbrogan.com/start-your-own-whatever/

Julien Smith: http://inoveryourhead.net/the-12-phases-of-a-successful-project/

Umair Haque: http://blogs.hbr.org/haque/2013/01/how_to_have_a_year_that_matter.html

Chris Guillebeau: http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/changing-the-system/

Problems are...

Problems are conflicts between what you want and what you perceive. The solution is often to redefine them both.

Taking a Leap

In Stephen Downes' article about what you really need to learn, he covers predicting consequences of actions first. He uses the example of wanting to jump across a rock chasm. The culture of "The Secret" recommends visualizing success. That can be very helpful, however, you also need to visualize the consequences of failure and predict its probability. 

If I don't succeed in jumping the chasm, I will fall to my death. Given the consequences, it would be a good idea to get more info on the probability of failure. 

Can you jump the same distance on flat ground? You can use the Visor Trick (http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080506011320AA85ldX) to measure the same distance on the flat ground to the side of you. Jump the distance a sufficient number of times. Now decide whether it's worth trying.

The opposite situation can also be examined. You want to go into the ocean in the Florida Keys but you are afraid of sharks. You imagine yourself in the water and the lifeguard signals that there is a shark and you see yourself simply getting out of the water. 

Just to be sure you look at the probability of shark attacks in the Florida Keys compared to traffic fatalities: 18 non-fatal attacks in over 100 years. 19 car fatalities in Monroe County (Florida Keys) in 2011.

Fluxite

Think of a time when you had a failure that you could have avoided if you had thought it through. Think of a time when you didn't do something you wanted to do because you assumed that it was likely to fail when it probably wasn't.

The Tack

When you are sailing against the wind, you pick a spot on the landscape to head for. That is not your final destination but you still focus on getting there. Then just when you are almost there and you know you can take advantage of the new angle of the wind, you change direction and head for a new point on the shore.

Solving a problem can work the same way. A good technique is to picture a solution and focus on achieving it. However you can't always know how that solution is going to work out. It is OK to change the picture when you get to a better vantage point. The technique still works even if you don't stick with one image. The solution evolves but the focus remains the same. In this way you can navigate to where you want to be.

Year One

It has been a year since Heretic's Toolbox began. It is a mysterious evolving and unpredictable thing. Thanks for being a part of it.

Problem Solving Time Traveller

We humans use our temporal lobe to time travel. We use our imagination to work backward through our memories or forward through our predictions. This is valuable for problem solving. The more we understand our memories, the better predictions we make. The more we understand our desired future outcomes the better decisions we make in the present.

Think about a problem you have. Tell yourself the story of how it came about and see if you see underlying patterns. Your memory may not always be accurate, but your storytelling speaks to your present needs. Imagine a future where the problem is solved. What does it look like? Now step back from that future state to the present and think about the steps you will need to take to get there.

Driving Problems

Beware Existential Problems

For more on Complexity vs Complication, read Harold Jarche.

Supported by Faulty Assumptions

When dealing with a wicked problem, look for the faulty assumptions that support the continuation of the problem. It is in that same place that you will find a solution.

Formulate Your Ideas

Formulate your ideas by playing with them in quiet empty places.

Seeing Possibilities in Imperfections

Stage Magic and Learning

Why Do We Want to Learn

Seeking the Emptiness

The Tao the Ching