I have a PLAN!

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Well, to be fair, I usually have several plans. It's how I've discovered I operate the best. If there's an issue of some sort, I tend to handle it best when I can have the issue laid out as plainly as possible, and have steps toward resolving the problem put into place. Yes, the plan may be difficult, and yes, there may be hazards on the path, but it's a heck of a lot easier for me to handle a solution when I can chart out what needs to be done.

I realize that I don't share this problem-solving style with a lot of people, but it's come up recently with some day-job and personal life issues, and I've wanted to put something down so I can remember it the next time things get overwhelming. Breaking things into a manageable, clear problem (you did X when you should have done Y, you haven't been doing Z as well as you should, that sort of thing) makes the solutions more clear to me. If I did X instead of Y, I can do Y now, see what needs to be updated from X to Y (if anything), and figure out the best plan to make sure I don't mistake X for Y again in the future (that's the big one - it doesn't do much good if I make the same mistake over and over again).

The downside to all of this is that I can get overwhelmed pretty easily. Being told that my performance is "slipping" without giving specific examples will pretty quickly take me to a place of "everything I do is awful, why does anyone put up with me?", which is not much help in resolving the problem. Also, when I get overwhelmed, I tend to freeze - if I don't know where to start, then I don't start anything, because it might not be the best place to start. Hey, I never said it was logical.

Anyway, my problem solving skills aren't particularly entertaining reading, I know, but I thought it might help to write them down. I hope to return to griping about editing on Monday. Have a good weekend, everyone!

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