Thinking method · Pólya, How to Solve It
Work backwards
Start from the outcome you want and ask what would have to be true immediately before it. When the goal is clear and the first step is not.
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Start from the outcome you want and ask what would have to be true immediately before it.
The steps
- Write the end state precisely enough that you would recognise it.
- Ask: what is the last thing that must happen for that to be true?
- Repeat until you reach something you could do this week.
- Now read the chain forwards and check each link actually causes the next.
When to use it
When the goal is clear and the first step is not.
What it will not do
A clean chain backwards can still be a chain nobody can walk forwards. The forwards read is the test.
Where it comes from: Pólya, How to Solve It. Described in our own words.
The module it belongs to
- Problem Solving — Break complex problems into manageable parts