As humans, we suck at problem solving.
We’re wired to avoid problems, not to solve them.
It’s hard enough to identify the correct root problem… Let alone solve it. Trapped in our own perspective, we can’t read the label from inside the bottle.
So we seek outside perspective. We hire coaches, business advisors, and therapists. Their lack of familiarity with all our details is a key component to their fresh perspective into our problems.
But first we must identify the right problems to solve.
Enter: the power of DISTANCING.
Self-distancing is a psychological concept where we change our perspective to an observer (instead of self-focused). Studies show self-distancing promotes reasoning, intellectual humility, and a better grip on negative emotions.
Aka, it makes us smarter AND less stressed. (sign me up for both please).
It’s a powerful framework. Here are 4 ways to use it.
1. Change Characters 🦸♂️
It’s easier to give advice to others, than to ourselves. So instead of “what should I do here?” Think “what would I advise my best friend to do?” And watch the ideas start flowing.
Or use the “Revolving Door Test” for immediate clarity. Andy Grove, former Chairman and CEO of Intel, used this to make a critical decision for Intel (spoiler: he saved the biz). It’s a simple question: “If I were fired and replaced today, what would my successor do?”
2. Change Versions 👓
- ⚡ What’s the quick version? → Get momentum
- ❌ What’s the bad version? → Use inversion and do opposite
- 😍 What’s the dream version? → Get direction
- 🎉 What’s the fun version? → Keep it light
- ⏲️ What’s the now version? → Pick something and work on it for 20 minutes right now
I did this recently to brainstorm new project ideas. It led to me taking quick action and creating a new Notion template in 20 minutes.
3. Change Environments 🏔️
What would the problem look like in a different environment?
My friend recently had a “fling” in Mexico City. He was dating (his now girlfriend) casually as she was getting ready to move to Vancouver. Neither were willing to do a long distance relationship.
Until…
Two days before she left, they both decided distance didn’t matter and they’d stay together.
The distance (new environment) was the forcing function for them to realize how much they cared for each other.
Put another way, consider how we’d feel with less or without something. Would we…
- Still date someone if they lived in another city?
- Hire someone again if they weren’t already on our team?
- Apply to our same job if we didn’t already work there?
In a distant environment, we gain new insights and thus new perspectives on our problems.
An extreme version of this is when astronauts see earth from space and experience a cognitive shift in awareness. They explain how borders and boundaries disappear, and have a realization that everything is interconnected. It’s known as the “Overview Effect.”
Astronauts claim they can’t fully describe this transformational experience. But it provides them with pure awe and razor-sharp clarity.
The overview effect is the ultimate form of distancing.
Similar to when a caterpillar is born it starts out only crawling on earth. That’s the only perspective it knows. But after growing into a butterfly their entire perspective is transformed — making it impossible to view the world the same way as before.
4. Change Timelines 🕤
Consider the problem over different time periods. Will this matter in 10 days? 10 months? 10 years?
While we might not be going to space soon (or turning into a butterfly), the point remains. Being stuck in a single perspective constrains our ability to spot and solve problems. But with simple distancing techniques, we quickly see new solutions we were blind to once before.