A couple of years ago, I learned a strategy: inversion. It has helped me discover simpler solutions to tricky issues and avoid unnecessary work.
To invert is to turn a question upside down. Instead of attacking a problem with brute force, we work backward: what if we do the opposite? What if we avoid the obstacle altogether?
Some examples:
• You spend a lot of time on some report that no one cares about. Instead of doing it every month, is it possible to kill the busywork?
• A client is hard to work with and adds little value. Instead of stressing about their unreasonable demands, can we let the client go?
• A coupon is expiring, but I can’t think of anything I need. Instead of looking for something to buy, what if I throw the coupon away and move on?
The easiest move could be the best one.