Look Where the Answer Might Be, Not Just Where It's Easy to Look

A man loses his keys in a dark park but searches only under the streetlamp — "because that's where I can see." It's a joke, but it describes a lot of real problem-solving: checking the data you already have, reading the article that already confirms your view, asking the friend who always agrees. Convenient isn't the same as informative.

Next time you're stuck, name one source of information you're avoiding because it's inconvenient — a harder question, an unfriendly critic, an uncomfortable number — and go look there first.