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. The meta-problem you get to when you follow this process may be distant from the dilemma that started your quest. A key part of the meta-problem’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	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? Does everyone want to relax? Is there a good way for a possible vacation to accommodate 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? What kind of food does each person want? Does everyone agree on eating out or cooking? How willing and able is everyone to compromise? Where would be a new destination for each person? Are there places everyone wants to see? How much is each person willing to spend on the vacation?
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.
Meta-Problem 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?
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