Stuck on a Problem? Go Up or Down a Level

​David Allen pointed out an excellent approach to problem solving in his original book, 'Getting Things Done.'  He said that when we get stuck on a problem, we need to either move up a level (bigger picture, more context, more abstract) or move down a level (more details, a smaller view, a narrowed perspective) to find the solution. 


"The world we have made, as a result of the level of thinking we have done thus far, creates problems we cannot solve at the same level of thinking at which we created them." (Albert Einstein)


Try this out for yourself the next time you feel 'stuck' on a problem.