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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nSome of us naturally view each day as a puzzle to be solved.\nWhen a problem arises, our minds are quick to look for possible solutions. For\nothers of us, a problem stops us dead in our tracks if we don\u2019t have exactly\nwhat we would need to fix it if we lived in an ideal world. It may always be a\nstretch to envision doing things in a unique way, but anyone can do it with\nsome practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Conserve your energy.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Fear, panic, and flailing about use energy that can\notherwise be spent on problem solving. It is normal to feel anxious or scared\nsometimes. It is normal to feel overwhelmed or inadequate sometimes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Register the feelings and set them aside for a moment if\nyou\u2019re in a critical situation. Otherwise try sitting with the feelings until\nyou feel them dissipate, then return to the task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Observe the environment.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The solution to a problem will become apparent more quickly\nwhen you make a habit of observing your environment. Keeping a mental visual map\nof your surroundings will reduce search time you might otherwise incur when an\nissue arises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a short person, I\u2019m always looking for a way to reach\nsomething. I have been known to use a bread knife to tilt a plastic cup on a\nhigh shelf until it falls off into my hand. That may not be the ideal second purpose\nfor a knife, but it works!<\/p>\n\n\n\n I also have some inexpensive metal tongs that I use to grab\nspices off the top shelf. It\u2019s easy to apply enough pressure to pick up the small\njars and it works beautifully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Prioritize function.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n An item serving a dual purpose may not look or feel like the\noriginal. The most important thing is that the replacement function similarly\nenough to accomplish the task without creating further complications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Practice.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Everything seems bigger and harder when you think about it.\nA sink full of dishes feels like it will take forever to wash until you start.\nThe key is getting started. Once you jump in and begin, much of your anxiety\nwill subside and everything will seem easier. Knowing that, you can practice\nthinking about projects differently. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I so this all of the time. If I see on the news that a\nbridge collapsed and cars drove into the water, I mentally develop a plan for\nwhat I would do in that situation. Would I roll down my window? How far? Would\nI leave my seat belt hooked? What could I use to cut it if it were stuck\u2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s how the process goes: Pretend X happens. Break down what\nyou will do first, second, third, etc. into simple steps. You\u2019ll probably want\nto begin with diagnosing the issue to be fixed. Then you may want to explore\nthe possible causes of the problem. From there, list possible remedies. That\nwill take you to the point that you can determine the tools you need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Remember, this is just a mental exercise for now. There is\nno failing. Each new idea you have is a success even if it feels improbable as\nyou think of it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If this seems pointless, remember that you\u2019re developing a\nnew grove for thinking patterns. The reward will come when a problem arises and\nyou\u2019re able to solve it more quickly and easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Have fun.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Exaggerate your solutions. Get the kids involved. Think of\nthe most outrageous fix you can and explore that. What if there were no\ngravity? How would that change your plan?<\/p>\n\n\n\n So often, we fail to see the solutions right in front of us\nbecause we have one particular vision of what they should look like. The truth\nis, there are many ways to approach a problem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Understanding how many workable options surround us at any given moment opens the world to much greater possibility and so many things to being dual purpose. It can also enhance a feeling of competency and accomplishment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And it can put many a rarely used object to use as you discover that it has a dual purpose. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Paper plates as dustpans, quarters as screwdrivers, and duct tape for everything \u2013 everyday items can serve a dual purpose! When things go according to plan, the perfect tool can make a job easier. But life often doesn\u2019t go according to plan. Being able to improvise using what\u2019s available is a skill worth cultivating. Some … Continue reading “Dual Purpose”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,12],"tags":[3105,3102,3104,3106,3103],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cooking2thrive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4589"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cooking2thrive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cooking2thrive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cooking2thrive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cooking2thrive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4589"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.cooking2thrive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4589\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4593,"href":"https:\/\/www.cooking2thrive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4589\/revisions\/4593"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cooking2thrive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4589"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cooking2thrive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4589"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cooking2thrive.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4589"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}