- Identify the problem
- Understand the consequences of the problem
- Deal with the problem
- Evaluate the success of your solutions
Step 1 - Identify the Problem
The first step is to make sure that you know exactly what the problem is. After all, you don't want to find that you've come up with the right solution for the wrong problem! Take the time to think it over, and maybe talk with a friend or two just to make sure that there really is a problem - maybe it will look differently from another perspective.My problems:
I was diagnosed with Type-B lymphatic cancer in August 2003, an aggressive form of cancer. The treatment involved chemotherapy and radiotherapy, both of which have several potential side effects, including nausea during the treatment and fatigue for an extended period of time (anywhere up to a year or two) afterwards. Provided everything went OK, I would finish treatment in late January 2004 and would be left with approximately 6 months to prepare for the Nationals in July 2004.
The two most relevant problems were:
- I would be likely to be quite ill during chemotherapy, and more tired than usual during the radiotherapy treatment.
- Once my treatment was over, I would be likely to experience some degree of fatigue and decreased recovery ability for anywhere up to the next year or two.
Step 2 - Understand the Full Consequences of the Problem
Assuming that you have got a proper grip on the problem, you should then stop and think awhile about what the full consequences of the problem are likely to be. Don't rush this step, and don't be afraid to think about things for a while and then come back and take another look a few days later, after your subconscious has had a chance to mull over the problem. Think laterally if you can, as there can sometimes be some obscure consequences as well as the obvious ones!
Consequences of my problems: