What do I love most about being an engineer?

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Hands down, the framework it’s given me for solving problems.

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Day-in and day-out as a programmer you’re faced with the task of doing things you don’t know how to do. And it’s your job to figure out the solution.

As a recovering perfectionist, this was uncomfortable for me - to say the least.

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But...

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After a year of programming, the challenge of figuring out solutions to complex problems I didn’t know how to solve became what I loved most.

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How? And why?

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Well, in time, I created the following framework to solve problems I didn’t know the answer to. And, it had my back, kind of like a best friend (providing a sense of comfort, and confidence).

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1. Identify the end goal (write it down)

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2. Identify the inputs (write them down)

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3. Identify the outputs (yep! write them down)

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4. Ask yourself “what do I know?” (make a list)

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5. Ask yourself “what don’t I know?” (make a list)

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6. Draw it out

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I’d often do this on a piece of printer paper or white board. This helps me visualize the problem, and crystallize the relationship between the pieces I  know and don’t know.

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7. Start one by one figuring out the unknowns from step 5 (that list of things you don't know)

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8. As you figure out each unknown repeat steps 1 - 5, and 6 (updating your diagram)

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Instead of problems being overwhelming, they become more like an exciting maze and puzzle. One, in time, you know you’ll solve.

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Give it a try!

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It may, for you (like it did for me), change how you see yourself - capable of solving hard, complex problems!