Route Two

Organised things to do when you don’t know what to do

Begin at the end

When you’re stuck or confused, a good rule is "Begin At The End". This means deciding what things will be like when you’ve solved the problem (you will, somehow). Once you know where you want to get to, then you can pick the best way to get there. People can often unstick themselves from very sticky situations by defining what results they want. It may be enough to let you wave all helpers goodbye & get on with things yourself.

Arm yourself with ...

bulleta big sheet of paper (join 4 A4 sheets if you can’t find an A1)
bulletBlu-Tack to stick it to a wall you pass often (kitchen? loo?)
bulletblack, blue, red, & green felt-tip pens

Write these questions in black & your answers in green

bulletWhat will be happening when I’ve solved this problem?
bulletWhat will not be happening when I’ve solved this problem?
bulletWhat else will be different when I’ve solved this problem?
bulletWhat’s happening now, & what’s wrong with that?
bulletWhat options do I have for improving matters? (include wait-&-see)

Now add in blue ...

bulletWhat’s good about each option?

And in red ...

bulletWhat’s bad about each option?

And in blue again ...

bulletWhich option now seems best & how will I make it work?
bulletHow will I know when I can stop working on this issue?

It may take several days of adding thoughts to this poster every time you pass before you get the break-through of deciding what you’ll actually do - but it's a lot better than hoping that somebody else is going to solve it for you!

 

DS23.gif - 7 K

I can help you to move forward

© Copyright Career Solutions (1996-2002) One of a series of worksheets & workbooks.   This page was last edited on September 07, 2004 Webmaster: sandymcmillan@careersolutions.co.uk.