The 12 Favourite Problems Concept

or the 12 favorite problems concept in US English spelling

I’m currently a part of cohort 11 of the Write of Passage program, so much more than an intensive online training course, it is also a community of very motivated and motivating individuals. I am being inspired and pushed out of my comfort zone in equal measures.

I was introduced to the 12 favourite problems concept earlier on in the week and it massively resonated with me. The concept of exploring a set of questions you keep coming back to, questions so deep that you could ponder them forever without getting to an end point or becoming bored, moreso that you can get really deep into the whys and wherefores and start to connect the dots in the way that only you can. We were recommended to have a mix of micro level ones, things that are relevant to your own personal life and also some macro level ones, things that are about society and the wider world/universe. We were given only about 5 minutes from memory and I managed to write 7 down in that time, and then went back to add to the list once it became clear that was our first assignment.

“You have to keep a dozen of your favorite problems constantly present in your mind, although by and large they will lay in a dormant state. Every time you hear a new trick or a new result, test it against each of your twelve problems to see whether it helps. Every once in a while there will be a hit, and people will say, ‘How did he do it? He must be a genius!” ~ Richard Feynman

I am going to copy and paste from what I submitted below without editing, because I will need to tidy up this list and write about each of the topics in turn, and through that introductory exercise I can hone the way I have written them up to get closer to what it is I am really trying to explore.

1. How do we accelerate gender equality?
   … and why am I so scared to talk or write about this? Why did I hear a story from a much younger colleague today that a man in her last job in a position of power was known to be problematical and inappropriate and drove several women to burnout and everyone knows but does nothing, how is that STILL happening? … how do we correct without making young boys even more likely to become ‘incels’ etc

2. Why are we trying to stamp out curiosity and creativity and individuality in our kids at such a young age, what is school really there for? (child care and or a factory to raise well behaved capitalist fodder surely?) how do we help them on a path of abundance or at least one that they are happier to give up 8 hours a day for?

3. What needs to change in the structures of most people’s working lives as society changes especially with AI and climate change?

4. How do I build back my confidence and speak up without fear?

5. What would be the best structure for governing both small jurisdictions and also moving towards a more global position, how do we get people engaged in “politics”?

6. How do we stop social media making people more divided and negative?

7. What does a world with TikTok and similar methods of consumption do for peoples attention spans/ability to learn/mental health etc?

8. Is this evidence about ultra processed food looking valid and if so why on earth aren’t more people outraged and why are food manufacturers able to package and sell foods that are harming us so badly?

9. How do I truly heal from the experiences that led me to burnout and how do i make peace with injustices done without getting bitter or allowing negativity to hold me back?

10. How do i reconcile my love of tech generally, and the industry i am involved in, with my desire for a circular economy and that we need to get to net zero much more quickly?

11. How do I find my ikigai and show others how to do it efficiently too? How do we translate that into something that resonates better with young people choosing options and can really help them thrive?

12. What process do I go through to refine these questions and ensure they really are my 12 and are areas I will always want to go deeper into?

It makes sense to me that this will work as a component of finding my voice, learning what could be my ikigai too, because the burning questions we have are very much a key part of WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS. I am a hugely curious person and love reading as a way to scratch that itch, of course I have asked many many questions over the years, but I know these 12, or variations of these as topics, are definitely fundamental to who I am as a person right now, and give a sense of where I would like to get to for society as well as for myself.

I am looking forward to working through this exercise in the coming weeks, months and years, because I am definitely committed to his path.

What questions keep you up at night?

Sarah, Seeking Ikigai xxx