Solving Problems Is Like Eating Cake

A few tricks I’ve learned by talking with my stomach

I did some baking yesterday and made a soft and fluffy Sri Lankan style butter cake. I had spent two hours making it and I thought I deserved a little reward for all the work I put in. So I cut off what seemed like a moderately sized piece and walked to the coffee table to enjoy it with some tea.

But when I sat down at the coffee table, I got the distinct impression that I was a bit too ambitious with what I could eat — and frankly what I should eat. There was no way I could eat this entire piece and it was kind of intimidating. So I decided to put it in the fridge. Maybe I’ll get a smaller piece? But just as I was about to leave, my stomach started to growl.

“Buddy, why don’t you eat a small piece now and then go to the fridge? It’ll be a much more efficient use of your time. Trust me.”

“Hmmm yeah,” I agreed.

I was going to be efficient and conserve my energy. In other words, I was lazy.

So I used the fork and cut the cake into two manageable pieces.

Cut the cake down into more manageable pieces

There we go, a big piece and a small piece.

The smaller one seemed like less of a challenge and something I could deal with easily. I mean, it’s the size of a normal piece of cake that anyone can eat, right? So I did and it was divine. It was a fluffy cloud of sweetness that was just the right size for a mid-day treat. Satisfied, I got up to leave but I heard my stomach grumble again.

“Buddy, you can’t leave it like this. I’m sure we can try a little something else to eat another piece.”

“But there is too much to eat,” I protested.

“Listen, I got an idea. Why don't you try looking at it in a different way? Slice it down the middle, trust me.”

“Hmm… Let’s see.”

So I took the fork and sliced the piece again.

Tackle the cake from a different point of view

Oh, won't you look at that!

Cutting the big piece of cake like that made the combination of two little pieces look smaller somehow, didn't it?

In my head, I knew it was the same mass and volume of cake but it seemed smaller. Was it the dimensions of the smaller pieces or was it the angle? I couldn’t put my finger on it but I felt like I could get away with eating one more piece.

But I couldn’t. I already had my treat for the day and there was always tomorrow. I mean, I could go and enjoy some games or check Facebook and, as we all know, eating cake while doing that would only lead to greasy screens and keyboards. Plus, now that I know that they are such small pieces, I’ll have plenty of time to finish it off the next day.

“Buddy! Stop right there! These pieces of cake will be ruined if you leave it like this.”

“What do you mean?” I asked confused.

“Putting the cake in the fridge will make it hard and ruin the progress we’ve made. Can’t you see it is all warm and fluffy right now? It’s begging to be finished.”

“But I’ve had so much already.” I protested.

“Take a small piece from each. You can do it. Trust me.”

“Hmmm, Ok.”

So I took the fork and ate a piece from each.

Do what you can, don’t put off cake for the next day

Oh wow!

I took a little from the left side piece and then a little from the right. It tasted so good and I wasn’t as full as I thought I’d be. So I took another bit here, and another bit there — only the smallest serving with every slice. I felt like I was making progress and that kept me motivated until I realized how much I had actually accomplished.

There’s so little cake left. Just two bite-sized pieces. Not something I need to leave for the next day. I could finish it off in two bites and I would have a clean plate.

“Oh, you didn’t even need me to chime in this time, eh buddy?”

“Nah, I think it’s pretty clear that when the cake is this small, all that’s left is to finish off the plate.”

“Ah, the student has become the master. Let’s finish up and have an early dinner.”

“What? No.”

And so tea time ended with a belly full of cake and an idea in my head.

Cakes and problems

As you can see, a big piece of cake might seem daunting at first but if you use some interesting techniques, it can be pretty easy to get a clean plate. The same techniques can be used to tackle big problems we come across in life.

We’ve all had those problems that tower over us and we think they are impossible to overcome no matter how hard we try. But if we break it down into more manageable parts maybe there is a small part we can deal with easily. Complete that part first and look at what is remaining. Maybe we can break that part down even more to even smaller sections and finish them up with the resources we have? We’ll only know if we try.

And if we can’t think of any solution for a certain part of the problem, we can try looking at it from a different point of view. Is there a way we can achieve the desired outcome some other way? Are there resources outside our scope who might have already found a way to solve it?

It’s also a good idea to talk with other people and ask them what they think. Who knows, maybe they’ll see the problem in a completely different way and guide us towards the answer we seek. I personally ask my peers, my parents, or my teachers/mentors, if I’m stuck on something, and it works out in the end. Asking for help and getting different points of view on problems is very important and can really help us get out of a bind.

Don't put off your problems for another day either. When you start solving a problem, even just a little, you are motivated to keep going. But if you leave it for the next day, you might lose that drive and be stuck again. I’m not saying to overwork yourself, but try your best to do a little every day.

In conclusion

These techniques have helped me consume many cakes and tackle some really big problems in my life. Why not try a few and see if it helps? Then it’s just a matter of cleaning up the last few pieces and you’ll be left with a satisfied stomach and a clean plate.

Thank you for reading and have a great day.