Interesting Problems
Today’s video comes from Seth Godin’s blog (he didn’t write this for me, I just love his work and how well it applies to my work as a divorce lawyer). Here’s the link, and I’ve also included the link in the description section of this video. The title is “Interesting problems”.
Being locked out of your car is not an interesting problem. Call five locksmiths, hire the cheap and fast one, you’ll be fine.
And getting a script written or a book cover designed isn’t that interesting either. There are thousands of trained professionals happy to do it for you.
On the other hand, if you need a script that will win awards, sell tickets and change lives, that’s difficult. And interesting. Or if you need a book cover that will leap off the shelf, define a segment, make a career—that’s hard as well.
An interesting problem is one that’s never been solved in quite this way before. It’s not always going to work. The stakes are high. It involves coloring outside the lines.
Most solution providers (freelancers/firms/professionals) shy away from the interesting problems. There’s not a lot of firm ground to stand on. There’s more apparent risk than most people are comfortable with. It’s too easy to shy away and pull back a little.
But…
And it’s a big but…
The few who are willing to engage in interesting problems are worth working with.
Being locked out of your car is not an interesting problem. Call five locksmiths, hire the cheap and fast one, you’ll be fine.
And getting a script written or a book cover designed isn’t that interesting either. There are thousands of trained professionals happy to do it for you.
On the other hand, if you need a script that will win awards, sell tickets and change lives, that’s difficult. And interesting. Or if you need a book cover that will leap off the shelf, define a segment, make a career—that’s hard as well.
An interesting problem is one that’s never been solved in quite this way before. It’s not always going to work. The stakes are high. It involves coloring outside the lines.
Most solution providers (freelancers/firms/professionals) shy away from the interesting problems. There’s not a lot of firm ground to stand on. There’s more apparent risk than most people are comfortable with. It’s too easy to shy away and pull back a little.
But…
And it’s a big but…
The few who are willing to engage in interesting problems are worth working with.
Divorce and family law in Utah is now, to me, after more than 20 years in practice, an interesting problem. It’s an interesting problem because the Utah divorce and family law system has failed and continues to fail families and their family members. Yet the stakes are high and getting higher. Divorce and family law is more complex, more expensive, more time-consuming, more distressing, and more invasive and intrusive on personal and parental autonomy and fundamental human rights than ever before. And it is getting worse.
And it’s getting worse because the legal system is so afraid to do its job; a difficult yet also tedious, emotionally fraught, risky, error-prone (even in the hands of the most competent), thankless job.
Difficult problems are interesting problems in the hands of the courageously curious. (“Failure isn’t fatal, but failure to change might be.” – John Wooden)
Tedious problems are interesting problems for the tenacious. Just ask the frog who survived the cream.
Emotionally fraught problems are interesting problems to a true disciple of Jesus Christ (whether he or she has ever actually heard of or from Jesus Christ; see e.g., The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis).
Risky problems are interesting problems to the doggedly hopeful. (“The phoenix must burn to emerge.” – Janet Fitch)
Error-prone problems are interesting problems in the hands of those who remember the value of trial. (“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” – Thomas A. Edison)
A thankless job is an interesting problem for those who prize principle over popularity or passivity.
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