No matter how experienced you are, it never hurts to revisit the basics.

And not just on the job.

While recently studying for a new certification, I was reminded of the six-step troubleshooting process: a time-honored approach to solving technical issues. It’s designed for a particular brand of problem-solving. But when you break it down and simplify, it can be applied to most problems: fixing a broken laptop, training a dog not to bark…

Even job hunting.

What’s the thing that stands out most to me about this process?

You don’t actually take action until halfway through.

The First Step is Back

You can’t fix a problem if you don’t know what it is. Step one is to look at the problem from all angles — observe, dissect, and analyze — before building a plan.

In my experience, that’s not what most people do.

In the fast-paced world of the urgent time-crunch, there’s unrelenting pressure to act now and get things done. Taking a beat to figure out your attack can feel like wasted time, but acting without a plan can be the biggest time-waster of them all.

I’ve seen this play out more times than I can count: a brute-force frenzy that eventually finds a fix, but takes twice as long as it should have.

Knowing the Rule vs. Following the Rule

Even a compulsive planner like me can fall into that trap.

When I first re-entered the job market, I fired up the get-it-done machine. I updated my resume, hit the job boards, set up my filtered alerts, and applied for every random job that fit those loose parameters. And after months of trying, I saw little result.

I had a lifetime of education, but one thing you don’t learn in school is how to find a job. So I asked for help from someone who did (this is not an ad for career coaching, but it’s worth looking into). I listened to their lessons, and finally took that all-important step back. I made the time to build a real plan. The difference was striking. Less flailing, less wasted effort. And rather than flinging resumes into the maw of the abyss, I was having conversations with people.

And people are typically more willing to help you than a silent void.

While I’m still looking for that next challenge, I’m no longer wasting effort. I’m making actual human contacts, and that never would have happened without a plan.

Save Time by Taking Time

Whatever puzzle you’re working through (career shift, new skill, even a challenging new hobby) a few basic steps can go a long way:

• Identify the problem
• Then identify the real problem, not just the symptom (a common mistake)
• Plan your strategy
• Then, and only then, take action.

Yes, this may seem like common sense, but sometimes those “obvious” things are the ones we frequently lose sight of.

It’s all too easy to confuse effort for progress. But sometimes the best way forward is to take a beat. Take a breath. Figure things out before you waste more effort.