If you've tried fixing it three times, check you're fixing the right thing

The idea

When a fix doesn't work, it's natural to try a better version of the same fix.

Sometimes that's exactly what you need to do. But if you've tried several times and you're still in much the same place, it's worth checking something else: are you fixing the right thing?

A failed fix doesn't always mean you need a better fix. It can also be a clue that the real problem is somewhere else.

Try this

1. Write down, in one sentence, what you're trying to fix.
2. List the last three things you've tried.
3. Ask: If one of those fixes worked perfectly, would the problem actually go away?
4. If you're not sure, stop looking for another fix for a moment. Look again at what might really be causing the problem.

Keep this

If the same kind of fix keeps failing, check you're fixing the right thing.

Why this helps

Once we decide what a problem is, we tend to stop questioning it. Our attention moves to finding a solution.

So if a new productivity system doesn't help, we look for a better productivity system. If explaining something again doesn't work, we look for a better way to explain it.

But perhaps the productivity problem is really too much work. Perhaps the other person already understands and simply disagrees.

Three isn't a magic number. The point is to notice when you've spent long enough improving the answer that it's worth checking the question again.