Actualizing my Intellectual Potential

• I define my problem with precisionWhen I am facing a problem, I take the necessary time to fully understand what it consists of.

  Rarely Often
• I define my goal and determine the satisfaction criteria of a good solution.

  Rarely Often
• I take time to establish the constraints that need to be respected, limitations and obligations.

  Rarely Often
• I research and sort all the information necessary to understand and solve the problem.

  Rarely Often
• I plan and manage my course of actionI take the time to think about how I will proceed rather than immediately jumping into action.

  Rarely Often
• When I am facing a complex problem, I break it into more simple sub-problems.

  Rarely Often
• When I am on the path to a solution, I explore in an ordered, complete and systematic way.

  Rarely Often
• When I proceed by successive trials, I take the time to note information about each trial to avoid going around in circles.

  Rarely Often
• During my course of action, I keep in mind the yet to be explored paths, in case the one that I am on, does not lead to a valid solution.

  Rarely Often
• When I am unsure of exactly where I stand, I pause to take stock of the situation and to summarize the accomplishments thus far.

  Rarely Often
• I persevere even when having serious difficulties.

  Rarely Often
• I elaborate and verify all solution hypothesesI resist the temptation of using the first solution that comes to mind.

  Rarely Often
• I look for all possible solution options.

  Rarely Often
• When I have more than one solution, I give myself the time to compare them according to a variety of pertinent criteria.

  Rarely Often
• Before opting for a particular solution, I evaluate the eventual consequences.

  Rarely Often

There is no universal method for solving problems. It requires a basic knowledge of your field of study and its specific problem solving strategies. However, the art of finding valid solutions without screwing things up even more is based on some basic principles: a good understanding of the problem, a methodical approach to looking for solutions, and systematically verifying how well they're working.