By skyforbes 1. Simplify First (George Polya)
Quote
"If you can't solve a problem, then there is an easier problem you can solve: find it."
When I'm overwhelmed:
"I'm struggling with [Topic]. Create a strictly simpler version of this problem that keeps the core concept, help me solve that, then we bridge back to the original."
Your brain just stops when things get too complex. Make it simpler and suddenly you can actually think.
2. Rethink Your Thinking (Einstein)
Quote
"We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them."
Prompt:
"I've been stuck on [Problem] using [Current Approach]. Identify what mental models I'm stuck in, then give me three fundamentally different ways of thinking about this."
You're probably using the same thinking pattern that got you stuck. The fix isn't thinking harder—it's thinking differently.
3. State the Problem Clearly (John Dewey)
Quote
"A problem well stated is a problem half solved."
Before anything else:
"Help me articulate [Situation] as a clear problem statement. What success actually looks like, what's truly broken, and what constraints are real versus assumed?"
Most problems aren't actually unsolved—they're just poorly defined.
4. Challenge Your Tools (Maslow)
Quote
"If your only tool is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail."
Prompt:
"I've been solving this with [Tool/Method]. What other tools do I have available? Which one actually fits this problem best?"
Or:
"What if I couldn't use my usual approach? What would I use instead?"
5. Decompose and Conquer (Donald Schon)
Quote
When it feels too big:
H"Help me split [Large Problem] into smaller sub-problems. For each one, what are the dependencies? Which do I tackle first?"
Turns "I'm overwhelmed" into "here are three actual next steps."
6. Use the 5 Whys (Sakichi Toyoda)
When the same problem keeps happening:
"The symptom is [X]. Ask me why, then keep asking why based on my answer, five times total."
Gets you to the root cause instead of just treating symptoms.
TL;DR
These force you to think about the problem differently before jumping to solutions. AI is mostly just a thinking partner here.
I use State the Problem Clearly when stuck, Rethink Your Thinking when going in circles, and Decompose when overwhelmed.
If you like experimenting with prompts, you might enjoy this free AI Prompts Collection, all organized with real use cases and test examples.