Define

Vocation or Avocation?

According to the Design Process, the default thinking for many people is that as a professional, you’ll get paid for doing what you love. But that’s only one approach--you don’t have to do it that way and sometimes you can’t. Sometimes people choose a job for pay but get their spiritual or emotional fulfillment elsewhere.

Define

What do you want to pursue? What questions will guide your exploration? These will be ongoing questions throughout your life and career. In design thinking, problem finding is just as important as problem solving, since it doesn’t make sense to spend lots of energy on the wrong problem.

Anchor Problems

Anchor problems are when you are stuck on a solution for what you have mistakenly identified as “the problem.” These are difficult problems because if you don’t recognize and reframe your anchor, the problem is generally not solvable.

Example 1

• Problem: I love sailing and want to go sailing every weekend, but I can’t afford a boat. How can I get a boat?
• Reframe: I love sailing but buying a boat is an anchor solution. I could join a sailing club, time-share a boat, or offer to crew other’s boats on the weekends.

Example 2

• Problem: I want more influence in my company, but I need to be a Director to get people to pay attention to my ideas. How do I get promoted to a Director?
• Reframe: I want more influence in my company and being promoted is only one way to get it. I could make a lateral move for influence, propose/take on a strategic project, or join committees within the organization for more experience.

Work Through Your Anchor Problems Exercise

• Notice: Which are the life issues you have been working on that you suspect may be an anchor problem?
• Reframe: Reframe the problem until you have an actionable problem to work on. In the example above, the problem of I want to sail more, so I need to buy a boat, is reframed into a new question, is buying a boat the only way to sail more?
• Bias to Action: List 2-3 things you can do to start solving your reframed problem.

Key Helpful Resources