There's a 4th way, but it works least often. Maybe Method 2.5 fits better: Wait for the problem to fix itself to your level of risk. Ex: This road is blocked. I have a good news it won't be blocked in X days/months/years. Let's just wait until it's a little better for us to travel down and do something else for a just little while. It's a hybrid between waiting for the path to open up for everyone and forcing your way through. Taking a stepping stone between changing the world and changing your solution to the problem.
Two methods I have found useful. If it seems an intractable problem, you've made two goals equal. Figure out the conflicting goals and decide which will give way, such as once I think about it I realize the unspoken goal is I don't want to challenge Mom, M-I-L, Boss, etc.
Second method is 6 steps:
Intel, intel, intel, always be gathering intel.
Clear mind, set aside emotions.
Clear vision of what I want, the more clear and detailed, the more likely I'll get the result I want.
Detailed plan to get from current reality to vision.
Execute plan.
Debrief: what worked, what mistakes, etc.
There's way number 1.5: Solve a different but related problem, which gives you like 80% of the benefits of solving the original problem, but at 20% of the cost. This allows you to experience much less pain without an investment of resources you can't afford.
I do this with emails I'm not even angry about. Wait for your audience to come to you wherever possible. It's a lot cheaper to leverage the momentum of other people than to get them started from zero every time. I find the desire to author angry emails is often a side effect of trying to go too fast.
A favorite of mine: assume a sub-problem has a solution (even though it doesn't), and solve everything else assuming that solution holds.
I find that after I do that, once I have a solution for everything else, a less-general solution to the sub-problem is often sufficient to keep the global solution valid.
Second method is 6 steps: Intel, intel, intel, always be gathering intel. Clear mind, set aside emotions. Clear vision of what I want, the more clear and detailed, the more likely I'll get the result I want. Detailed plan to get from current reality to vision. Execute plan. Debrief: what worked, what mistakes, etc.
Aka "quickfix" or "hack".
I find that after I do that, once I have a solution for everything else, a less-general solution to the sub-problem is often sufficient to keep the global solution valid.
https://blog.onepatchdown.net/philosophy/2023/10/03/four-pil...