How to Solve Problems Like Albert Einstein.

Three tactics from the genius of physics to improve your life.

According to legend, Albert Einstein did not speak until he was four years old.

Nobody knew why. His parents were worried. But no matter how hard they tried, little Albert did not say anything. Although, he seemed to understand everything.

One night his mother served soup for dinner. And the little boy finally spoke. He said,

“The soup is too hot.”

His amazed parents asked him why he had not spoken earlier. And Einstein answered,

“Because everything was in order before.”

The optimization of resources is a great life lesson, which the little genius of physics was always clear to him.

How often do we talk too much?

I don’t know about you. In my case, my mouth has gotten me into more trouble than I care to confess.

That’s why I’m so interested in Einstein.

As I always say, common sense is the least common of the senses, and as we see in the anecdote, he already had it developed in the early years of his life.

That’s why in today’s article, I want to share with you some phrases and reflections of Albert Einstein that have become great tools for me. Thoughts that changed my life for the better, and I hope they will also change yours.

Let’s start.

I. Keep it simple

“I ask myself childish questions and proceed to answer them.”

— Albert Einstein.

He was a genius precisely because he optimized his resources and knew how to reduce big problems to the minimum expression through fundamental equations.

Perhaps the most famous is this one,

E=mc²

A powerful equation that unfortunately allowed the creation of the atomic bomb. But also space travel and a better understanding of the world.

Ingenuity is a resource when you know how to use it. Innocence frees us from prejudices, and these, in turn, free us from the pre-established limits of what can or cannot be done concerning a given area of knowledge.

Many times we need to look at things from another point of view. Often our problem is that we are too good at what we do, and the trees prevent us from seeing the forest.

Let me give you a personal example.

In 2013, I was one of the two CEOs of a start-up similar to Groupon but in Spain. And I remember that for the launch of the summer offers, we wanted to advertise in physical format through flyers.

It’s wrong for me to say it, but the designs were great. I was delighted with my advertising work. And I ordered 250K flyers from a wholesale printing company.

When the flyers arrived, I went to drop off a few at the restaurant in the business incubator where we had our office. And you know what happened?

The waitress at the restaurant looked at the flyers and said,

But do you have Facebook and Twitter?

To which I replied,

Of course, we are a dot com. How can we not have social networks?

The waitress gave me a lesson that I still haven’t forgotten. She said,

You know what? I have no idea if you have social networks or not. And I don’t have to know. The purpose of your advertising is to inform me and people like me how to use your app. You should have put the Facebook and Twitter logo on the side for people to subscribe.

See what I mean?

That’s what a fresh pair of eyes does. See what your ego doesn’t see.

Don’t assume you know it all. Look at things as if you were a child and ask yourself the questions a child would ask, and you will come up with simple solutions that will solve your most complicated problems.

In my case, the next flyer order, I incorporated the social media logos, as recommended by the waitress, and sales increased substantially.

II. Become a minimalist

“A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit, and a violin: what more do you need to be happy?”

— Albert Einstein.

Things are problems.

If you want to reduce your problems, reduce the number of possessions.

For example, maybe you need a car. But you know that the vehicle needs: fuel, insurance, licenses, repairs, pay the road tax, and so on.

That’s a lot of problems and responsibilities. So if instead of one, you have 4 vehicles, what will happen?

That you multiply the number of expenses, problems, and responsibilities.

Do you see what I’m getting at?

What Einstein really wants to tell us with his phrase is that you can be happy with little. It is not necessary to complicate your life so much.

Having three cars makes your life more complicated than having one.

Having more sometimes means having less money, time, and energy. If you want to solve your life’s problems like a physics genius would take all the unnecessary weight out of the equation.

I’m not saying sell everything and go as a monk to Tibet. I’m just saying that from now on, you should reflect on what you acquire. Consumption has to be conscious.

Minimalism, for me, is eliminating from our lives everything that distracts me from what is truly important.

Time is our most valuable resource, much more than money. That’s why you have to learn to invest your time in experiences and not in things.

Prioritize living over-consuming, and you will be much happier.

Antoine de Saint-Exupery. French Aviator and Writer (author of the Little Prince). Said,

“Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing more to take away.”

And he was not the only one, Plato said,

“To seek one’s own direction, one must simplify the mechanics of ordinary daily life.”

Lesson

As you can see, all the geniuses of history are clear about it: less is more.

Eliminate the unnecessary from your life, and you will have more energy and time. Think before you buy, and when you do, do it consciously.

Learn to live with little, and you will have a lot.

III. Be consistent

“Science is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.”

— Albert Einstein.

When Albert was 20 years old, he was giving lectures. He always used a driver for his travels. One day, tired of repeating the same speech, he confessed to his driver that he was bored of giving the same lecture over and over again.

The story goes that the chauffeur suggested that he change jobs for a day so that the genius could rest. And they did.

Einstein and the chauffeur exchanged clothes and went to give a lecture.

Einstein drove, and his chauffeur gave the lecture. Everything was going perfectly. Then, someone asked him a question that the chauffeur disguised as Einstein did not know how to answer. So, to get out of the way, he said,

“The question you are asking me is so simple that I will let my chauffeur, who is at the back of the room, answer it for you.”

And obviously, the chauffeur, who really was Einstein, answered it.

The crucial part of this anecdote is that the chauffeur was able to give the lecture.

How is this possible?

The chauffeur drove Albert to all the lectures, and he listened to the same speech until he learned it by heart.

That is the true power of habit, of constancy, of repetition.

Problems are easy when you are used to facing them.

Imagine any activity that scares you. Public speaking, for example. You may not have the talent to do it. But if you work hard every day, you will speak in public with the same eloquence as the driver in the anecdote.

Lesson

Work beats talent.

I have seen the most talented people fail.

People succeed because of their work ethic.

Furthermore, no one wants cocky people full of talent.

Everybody wants people who are willing to work hard and learn, full of humility and willingness. So be consistent and improve a little bit every day.

Push yourself, and hard work will pay off.

Bonus

“Anyone who can drive safely while kissing somebody is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves.”

— Albert Einstein.

Some things cannot be done at the same time. Because if you don’t do them well, you don’t enjoy them.

If you want to solve your life’s problems like a true genius, focus on solving one at a time.

Focus is today more than ever a superpower.

People are less and less able to focus and are scattered. Try to train your attention by avoiding multitasking, and you will be more efficient.

If you have read to the end of the article, I want to thank you for your support. I hope this article has helped you. If so, let me know in the comments. I really appreciate it.

Thanks for reading. Alberto García (Malafama1981).

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