Welcome back to the 1st Law Newsletter - Friday Edition.

In this email:

• Classifying problems

• Work blocks not work days

• Quote - Embracing the negative

The Main Four Problems

You can always improve your problem solving skills. In order to solve problems, it is useful to first classify different types of problems. There are 4 main categories of problems.

1. Simple problem: The simple problem has only one factual answer. To solve the problem you only need to know the fact. E.g., Who was the first Prime Minister of Canada? The answer to the question is either known or unknown. No judgement is required.
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2. Deterministic problem: The deterministic problem again has only one answer but it requires both facts and the correct formula to arrive at the answer. A great example of a deterministic problem is a math question. E.g., $11.60 is made up of only dimes and quarters. There are 32 more dimes than quarters. How many dimes and quarters are there? Again, no judgement is required, unless speculation is needed to determine the data or correct formula to use.
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3. Random problem: The random problem has a finite set of possible answers and requires analysis and judgement to determine the best solution. E.g., Which of the contractors who bid on the project should be selected? Arriving at the answer will require weighing facts and multiple benefits and drawbacks of each, however there is a finite amount of contractors that can be selected. The solution space is limited and, while there is sometimes a 'correct' choice, the best solution often depends on which stakeholder's perspective you look at the problem from.
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4. Indeterministic problem: The indeterministic problem welcomes an unlimited number of possible answers. Analysis and judgement is always required and is difficult to carry out. E.g., If Donald Trump is re-elected, how would the US economy be affected over his 4 year term? There is no way to know the 'right' answer without being able to predict the future. The solution space is unlimited and there are a large amount of factors to consider.

As the number of facts decreases, the role of judgement increases. Also, as judgement increases, so does the probability of error. As probability of error increases, your confidence in your solution should decrease, however it rarely does... Thats just human nature. The indeterministic problem is the most common, difficult, and important type of problem that you can solve, with the biggest impact on humanity. Focus on solving these problems to make the biggest difference.

Ideas from The Thinkers Toolkit by Morgan D. Jones.

The Productivity Paradox

A simple tip to increase productivity that I have stumbled upon recently is adding timers to work blocks. Parkinson's Law says that work expands to fill the time allotted for its completion. Thus, to be more productive, condense the time you allot to the work.

Say you have an email to write. If you set a timer for 5 minutes and place it visibly in front of you while you write it, I can almost guarantee that when the timer is up the email will be done. Knowing that you have a time limit and having it visibly counting down in front of you is very motivating. This applies to larger projects as well. Say you are working on a big task that cannot be completed in one sitting. I would recommend setting a timer for 60-90 minutes and working with upmost attention during that block of time. No distractions, no phone, no other tabs on the browser, just deep work. 90 minutes of focused work >>> 3 hours of distracted work. When the timer goes off, take a significant break (30 minutes or more) to refresh your mind and spirit. When you do come back to the task, either later that day or the next day, repeat the process.

Working longer gets the same amount of work or less done. When you establish fixed hours to your work (e.g., an 8 hour day), you find unproductive ways to fill it. Work like a lion instead—sprint, rest, repeat.

Idea from Sahil Bloom's Curiosity Chronicle.

Quote I Want To Share

Embrace the negative feelings. You cannot have joy without sadness. What you do when things aren't going your way says a lot more about your character than what you do when everything is going great. It is a rare and special person who can smile when they are sad, not because they are happy, but because they recognize that this too is a part of the human experience. God would not put you through anything you could not handle. Face adversity with your head up.

Thanks for reading!

Lucas