What vacation should we take?

Sometimes there is a clear destination and time to go on a vacation. Other times, it is less clear or you have conflicting opinions in your group. At that point, it makes sense to take a step back and explore what other options you might have to address your current dilemma.

Complex problems are often vague, and that means they have many possible solutions. Following the Meta-Problem Method may lead you to a distant dilemma from the one that started your quest. A key part of the method's value is that it forces you to clarify what you really want and what you are willing to give up. It also enables you to compare objectively the possible pathways and their trade-offs. It prevents you locking into solutions mode too early, and then doubling down on solving a low-yield problem that does not serve your goals as well as the alternatives. At the end of this process, you will have a better understanding of your priorities and how to achieve them.

Step in the Meta-Problem Method	Illustrative Example
Dilemma The high-level issue you are trying to address	What vacation should we take?
Goal The changes you would like to make to address the dilemma. There are usually many options. Selecting the best set comes after you learn what is possible.	Supporting Goals Have fun. Relax. Spend time with friends. Eat tasty food. See something new. Spend an acceptable amount of money.
Problem Space While goals tell us what we want, our next step is to understand what is holding us back from making progress on them. This approach is borrowed from calculus as we explore the neighborhood of the current dilemma.	For each goal that you are considering, ask yourself: How much progress is possible? How much effort would it take to make progress? What methods might help to make progress? What might the positive or negative effects be on the other goals as you make progress towards the current one? Example Problems: Does everyone have the same idea of what's fun? Is the problem about their preferences, skills, or something else? For example, some people prioritize adventure while others think of pleasant experiences as more fun. Does everyone want to relax? Is there a good way for a possible vacation to accommodate everyone?  For example, if you were lucky and everyone in your group thought relaxing at a beach would be a great vacation, it might be easy to find an option that satisfied everyone. How much time does everyone want to spend with their friends? Does everyone have the same scheduling constraints? Can some people choose to join late / leave early? For example, some people may prefer to take a whole week off while others only can manage a long weekend. A week-long camping trip may be harder to leave early than visiting a city. What kind of food does each person want? Does everyone agree on eating out or cooking? How willing and able is everyone to compromise? For example, some people may have dietary restrictions while others may prefer to not cook or clean dishes when on vacation. Where would be a new destination for each person? Are there places everyone wants to see? For example, if some of the group only wants to use their precious vacation time to go on new adventures, it may be tricky to find somewhere none of them have been before. They may instead need to focus on new experiences in a location they've visited before. How much is each person willing to spend on the vacation? For example, if there are big differences in preferences, it may be tricky to find a solution that appeals to everyone.
High-Yield Problems Sometimes solving one problem helps make progress towards several goals. In this step, we identify these “two-for-the-price-of-one” problems.	Which Options Will Advance More Than One Goal? What is the best option for an international trip? If this is a good option, it will probably be new for everyone and may have tasty food and fun. What is the best option for a roadtrip? If this is a good option, it will probably be cheaper and give lots of time to spend with friends and the chance to see something new if you pick the right destination. What is the best new city to visit? If this is a good option, it will have opportunities to have fun, eat tasty food, and see something new. Do we want to go on a camping trip? If this is the best option, it will be cheap, give lots of relaxing time with friends. What would a nature vacation look like? Do we want to go to a beach, mountains, lake, something else? If this is the best option it may be cheap, let you see new things, and give time to spend together. Et cetera.
Problem Selection Which of the many possible options in the high-yield problem step is the best set to address the dilemma?	Selection Criteria Which solutions will best address the dilemma? Which solutions will deliver the best outcome for the least amount of time, effort and money? Which solutions best fit the group of people who are going on vacation together?  By this point in the Meta-Problem Method, you have clarified your goals, identified some options you could take, weighed the trade-offs that come with each of those options, rejected some options because they will take more time, effort or money than the results are worth, and you have identified a set of high-yield problems that will advance several of your goals at once. Now you are ready to start solving a problem knowing what you expect to achieve.
Implement, Learn and Adapt	Observe and learn as you go. New information may reveal itself as you implement your chosen solution, so check continuously that you’re still solving the right problem.