Here are a few lessons to be learned from Einstein’s philosophy about problem solving:

1. “It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” We should try to get rid of problems as soon as we can.

2. “If I had an hour to solve a problem, I’d spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions.” Don’t look for solutions right way, rather mull over the problem. Redefine the problem so you can find the cause of it.

3. “Logic will get you from point A to point B. Imagination will take you everywhere.” Maybe we shouldn’t spend too much time measuring if a solution is right or wrong but consider all options.

Adapted from Vishal Kataria