The Simplest Solution

The other day, I came into work early and went to print something from the printer. I got an error message. Immediately I flew into action. I checked the properties. I made sure I was selecting the right printer. I uninstalled and reinstalled. I went over to the printer several times and no papers had printed out. What the heck was the problem?

Well, after about 20 minutes, I walked over to the printer and actually looked at it (instead of just walking past it). Someone had turned it off. All I had to do was flip the power switch. There was no glitch computer problem. The IT department hadn’t disabled my ability to print. Someone had simply turned off the printer.

Sometimes the most obvious answer is the most obvious answer, the one that is staring us in the face. I remember talking to a woman about my weight loss efforts. I had tried Weight Watchers and it had worked, but, ever the yo-yo I had gained the weight back. Since then I had tried Atkins, South Beach and several other diets to no avail. Then this woman, a stranger whom I had struck up a conversation with on a walking trail said, “Well, if Weight Watchers worked for you before why not just go back to Weight Watchers?” Ding! Ding! Ding! I didn’t need a pill or a new diet plan, I needed to go back to what worked.

What’s my point? It’s simple, when faced with a problem, don’t overlook the simplistic answer because it’s too simplistic. It might be exactly what you need.