Improving your ability to solve problems improves your whole life. Try this checklist when you come across a tough problem.

1. Define the problem.
2. Is this a problem you’ve solved before?
3. Is this a problem others have solved before?
4. Can you enlist others to solve your problem?
5. Can you break down the problem into solvable chunks?
6. Can you compare your world to a world where the problem doesn’t exist?
7. Can you find the root cause of your problem?
8. Can you try out a solution to see what happens?
9. Can you think outside the box?
10. Can you prove the problem cannot be solved?
11. Can you brute force all dimensions of the problem?

See also

1. Explore vs. exploit in multi-armed bandits