Z: Zoom in, Zoom out

Zoom in, Zoom out

ZProblem solving is an important part of life. Each time we are presented with a problem, the first decision to be made is, Do we want to solve the problem or not?

We need to come problem solvingup with a plan. Depending on the problem/issue at hand we have to decide is it better for me to zoom in on the problem, that is to make it a priority, look at the alternatives closely and develop a plan of attack, or zoom out, which would be to take a step back, look at the problem from afar, or even put it on hold, before thinking about a way to solve it.

My initial reaction to problems is to jump right in and try to problem solving easysolve them right away. This is what I want to do when left with a technology problem that needs fixing such as my computer is frozen, or my wife can’t access her email, or I have to write a piece for this blog by today and have no clue what to write about. The difficulty with this approach is sometimes the time is not available for me to work on the problem, or the other person having the problem just wanted to inform me about it with no expectation of it be solved by me, or by trying to solve the problem numerous other problems are created that would not have cropped up at all if I hadn’t tried to fix it in the first place.

 

The other solution is to take a step back. Try to think about what is the real issue? Does it have to be solved immediately? What would happen if I put off resolving it? This requires some introspection and also time to think through possible consequences. These are questions like what am I going to eat tonight? Are we going to go on vacation this year? I have a day off, so how should I/we plan our day? In these scenarios zooming out and getting a global perspective on the situation sometimes makes for better, more thought out actions. The drawback is that these types of actions can also create a standstill in which no solution is ever found or attempted due to procrastination or forgetfulness.

problem solving avoiding

Of course, whether you choose to zoom in to a problem or zoom out of a problem is dependent on the problem at hand. It would be nice if we could solve all our life’s problems by making all of the right choices and only make changes that turn out for the better.  But in reality that’s not going to happen. That’s what life is all about. All the choices we make, whether right or wrong, lead us to be better at what we do and who we are. At least that is the hope.

—————————–

And by the way, Z is also for Zero. This being the end of April means there are no more daily blog entries I have to post to meet the A to Z Blog Challenge. That doesn’t mean I won’t keep writing, just not as frequently, at least not until April, 2017 when maybe I’ll try this again. I’ll keep you posted.

see you next year

About hdh

I have been telling stories for over 40 years and writing forever. I am a retired teacher and storyteller. I hope to expand upon my repertoire and use this blog as a place to do writing. The main purpose is to give me and others that choose to comment, a space in which to play with issues that deal with storytelling, storytelling ideas, storytelling in education, reactions to events, and just plain fun stories. I explore some of my own writing throughout, from character analysis, to fictional, to poetry, and personal stories. I go wherever my muse sends me. Enjoy!
This entry was posted in A to Z Blog Challenge 2016, Personal Stories, Writing and tagged . Bookmark the permalink.

One Response to Z: Zoom in, Zoom out

  1. I tend to just jump in and get cracking. If I over think it, it becomes more and more difficult until I don’t even want to start
    Debbie

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *