FIO is my shorthand for Figure It Out

I’ve been using this phrase as my mantra for decades now. Whenever I am stumped, whenever I don’t know what to do, I go back to Figure It Out.

Let’s say you’re facing a problem. What question should you ask yourself?

😢 Can XYZ be done? 

This is a yes/no binary question. I really DO NOT LIKE this question because it gives you a very easy, very lazy way out of trying to find a solution – you can simply by choose “no” as your answer!

😐 Let’s Ask A Friend! 

This is … ummm … somewhat better I guess. You think that you don’t know how to do this, so maybe you need some outside help. Sometimes, this is the right approach. However, I still prefer the following question because it forces us to properly studying the problem before we throw in the proverbial towel!

😀 What do I need to do to get XYZ done? 

This is an open-ended question that pre-supposes that the stated task can indeed to successfully completed, and that I am fully capable and empowered to succeed. This mindset forces us to think more deeply, to examine all possibilities, simple because “no” is no longer an easy/lazy choices and we have to rely on ourself.

And yes, sometimes the reality is that the task cannot be done. Or sometimes we realize that we just lack a certain something, be it skill or resources. Either way, we have now examined the problem in much greater detail, and hopefully this will lead us to a better resolution!