This will be a broad stroke explanation of the core concept of a Solvable Problem™. This concept can help to answer questions such as:
“Should I…”
“When should I…”
“How do I know when…”
“Does this make sense for me…?”
The Solvable Problem™ was extracted from Dan Nicholson’s book, Rigging The Game, which will be linked in the reference section.
We need to first understand things conceptually before actually diving into details.
Should you wish to continue the journey toward Guardian tier more of these concepts will be expanded upon by the community and higher tier training.
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The Biggest Risk
Without a Solvable Problem™, odds are you are chasing after more and this is not the most efficient path forward.
Remember what the biggest risk is for you?
The biggest risk is that you don’t get what you want out of life.
So, what may be risky for you might not actually be risky for someone else and vice versa.
We first covered this idea in our article “Should I Be In Crypto? What Is Crypto?”
Humans Default To More
More is rarely the answer, often times the decisions that are made to gain more will get you further from what it is that you truly value in life.
- If you want to spend more time with your kids: You accept a job that has you traveling four days a week and in the office for the other three days, but hey…You make way more money.
- The “play” that has more upside might carry a bigger risk of complete ruin which gets you further away from feeding your family.
We need clarity on what it is that you are actually trying to solve for/accomplish and more is not an efficient thing to optimize for.
Principle: Closer > More
Shift from “More” to “Closer”. More specifically: closer to the things that are the most important to you.
The Problem: Intractable Problem
When we have an intractable problem (a problem that can’t be solved) our default answer to this is MORE.
X * 5 * Y = Z
This is an intractable problem. There are an infinite amount of answers and outcomes to this equation and this is what we deal with in our lives daily. Some variables are defined and others are not but we are trying to make them all add up and make sense.
X * 5 * Y = 20
First step, is we need to define the outcome we want, Z = 20. This makes it easier to solve for the other two variables (X, Y), however there are still an infinite amount of solutions to this problem as well.
At least if we solve this equation we end up with an outcome that we actually want.
The Solvable Problem Informs
5 * 4 * Y = 20
Now we are able to solve for Y (1) and the problem is solved. This would be the most efficient way to get the outcome we want. Solvable Problem™ informs our behavior (when to take more risks, risk off the table, how to behave when we have multiple options presented in front of us, etc.)
The way to start?
Define the important variables so we can solve for the rest.
Profit Priorities
This is the first variable to define, the things that are most important to you. Here are some examples:
- Pay for your kid’s college (120K over 11 years).
- Buy a house (500K over 30 years).
- New Car (100K over 5 years).
You would outline the top one to three and now you have something to actually solve for.
These are just some broad stokes to help you understand the conceptual framework without getting too lost into the details at this time.
There will be many opportunities to be able to refine and iterate this later especially within TGA community, but if this is your first introduction to the Solvable Problem™ just opening the loop for you to reflect on within your own life will be a massive shift.
How To Come Up With Your Solvable Problem™
- Priority (top (1-3).
- Cost.
- Appropriate Timeline (not the best case, but the most appropriate, you can always collapse time later).
These are the variables to be honest with to define. You can utilize a spreadsheet, pen and paper, or whatever method you prefer to track.
We recommend the Certainty App (it’s free) if you want help getting started with a tool to be able to visualize and define your Solvable Problem™.
Watch the video to get an overview of how to utilize the app and set up your Solvable Problem™
Bring It Back To The Important Question
Am I chasing more or is this getting me closer?
Solvable Problem Considerations
6WU Wisdom Comes From Multiple Perspectives
Can you distill what you took away from this article in six words? Leave yours in the Tweet below and then go and read what other have wrote so that you can gain wisdom from their perspectives.
https://twitter.com/TheGuardianAcad/status/1605977693958287361?s=20&t=UIeEWXWJAhi_a4WawOAg6g