Paintbrush or Sledgehammer
Is this a paintbrush problem or a sledgehammer problem?
In other words, can the problem you’re currently facing be fixed (metaphorically-speaking) with a quick coat of new paint, or will it require a more radical structural remodel of your life?
For example, is the likely solution:
To drop the class? Or to transfer to a new school?
To move to a new apartment? Or to move to a new country?
To have a conversation with your spouse? Or a conversation with a divorce lawyer?
Getting clear on the type of problem you’re facing will help you decide how you want to proceed.
In your Project Quartz journal, start by reflecting on problems you’ve solved in the past, and whether they ended up being paintbrush or sledgehammer problems.
Then, using this same lens, reflect on the problem(s) you’re currently facing.
For each problem, what would be the paintbrush solution(s), and what would be the sledgehammer solution(s)?
Seeing these various solutions laid out before you, which one feels like the most appropriate way forward?
Variation: Paintbrush or Sledgehammer (Design Edition)
Paintbrush or Sledgehammer doesn’t just need to be a metaphor: this framework can also be literally applied to design problems.
When thinking about things you want to change in your home, consider: is this a paintbrush problem (which you can solve by yourself, like painting a wall) or a sledgehammer problem (which requires greater expertise, like knocking down the wall)?
Source
How Am I Doing?: 40 Conversations to Have with Yourself (2022) by Dr. Corey Yeager, who calls them first order changes (paintbrush) and second order changes (sledgehammer).