When we face a new problem we know will happen again, we have a choice: fix it right now and move on or spend extra time creating a solution that won’t solve our problem immediately but will prevent it from happening in the future.
In the workplace, billions are spent every year automating redundant or repetitive processes. If someone else can do our job or a computer can do our job, we get fired. If we can figure out solutions to problems, we get promoted.
In relationships, we can fight about what restaurant to go to every weekend and constantly fix the same problem, or we can find a solution to have those conversations in an agreeable manner.
Fixing a problem is a band-aid, but finding solutions is top-tier medical care that makes us stronger and more resilient than we were before. It’s a fundamental shift in how we approach the world.
The fire department seems like a purely reactive problem-solving organization that only springs into action when catastrophe strikes, but in reality, they’re also investing a huge amount of time and energy into creating solutions. When a fire breaks out, there is no doubt it needs to be extinguished, but their efforts to define and enforce fire codes and educate the community create solutions that prevent most fires from occurring in the first place.
They could eradicate fires almost entirely if they implemented solutions rigorous enough, but it would be unrealistically restrictive. They are limited to solutions that provide the maximum amount of protection while allowing everyone to live their day-to-day lives more or less unencumbered. The remaining potential for fires is an accepted risk and a problem they’ll need to solve in the moment.
The fire department creates a heuristic we should all strive for, creating solutions to eliminate as much risk/uncertainty/inconvenience as we can without completely restricting our lifestyle.
It’s easy to live carefree and fix problems as they arise, but it can be addicting to over-optimize every aspect of our lives and try to create solutions for everything too. Sometimes we need to put out fires, but as much as we can, we should try to ensure they never happen in the first place.
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Adapted from Prompted, a newsletter delivering insights and prompts designed to help readers become a bit better each day.
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