Here’s a quick recap of how reframing a problem can help you open up new solutions and possibilities:

• The discomfort of “not knowing” drives many of us to rush through the problem-solving process, clinging to solutions that feel most familiar based on our limited experience, beliefs, and biases.
• The narrower your initial frame of the problem, the lower the chance that you’ll come up with a truly effective and efficient solution.
• Reframing a problem opens up new ways of seeing, and new perspectives that can lead to a truly breakthrough solution.

Sometimes the hardest part of reframing is just finding the time to do it. Here’s a quick and simple process to try for yourself.

Step #1: Stop

The first step is to interrupt your default and reactive approach to problem solving. Slowing down long enough to ask yourself better questions, rather than pushing to come up with the fastest answer.

Step #2: Focus Your Thinking

Set a timer for three separate five-minute blocks (or longer if you’d like) to think more deeply about the challenge you’re facing.

1) Write down your initial description of the problem in just a couple of sentences.

2) Ask yourself, “What is my real goal? What’s the high-level outcome that matters more than anything else?”

3) Explore other types of questions that will help you zoom in and out, focusing on both the high-level goal AND the details of the problem.

Don’t get too rigid or formulaic. Just allow your mind to play with the problem, then write down whatever thoughts, questions, and possible solutions happen to arise.

Step #3: Let it Gel

Now it’s time to get out of the way and give your imagination the time and space it needs to do its job. Your unconscious will do most of the heavy lifting—processing information in the background and connecting the dots in new ways—all without any conscious effort on your part.

Step #4: Capture Your Ideas

Once you’ve primed the creative pump, you may find that new ideas and solutions start popping into your head without much effort.

Be sure to jot down those insights and big “aha!” moments as soon as they happen. The longer you wait to capture your ideas, the harder it will be to remember the key details.

What will you do today to start fitting this approach into your busy schedule?

Will you set aside at least 15 minutes a day to do some high-quality, focused thinking?