The first step to a good solution is having a problem in the first place. Many great solutions fail simply because the problem they are meant to address does not actually exist.
The second step is to avoid searching for one single solution. There are countless solutions for every problem. The right solution will find you.
To ensure this happens, do the following:
Take a walk – both physically and mentally – and invite your problem along. Now wait until the problem tells you what it needs in order to disappear. Do not judge what it offers you, as each of these offers is a solution. Invite each of the solutions to walk with you for a while and engage them without any bias or prejudice.
Having several solutions walk alongside you, however absurd they may be, and finding out which one suits you best is what we call brainstorming.
At the end of the walk, there will be three of you: you, your problem and the right solution.
Joschka Breitner, Slowing Down in the Fast Lane: Mindfulness for Managers292