Questions

I'm sure you can find a similar story in your own experience.

Asking the Right Questions: a methodology

1. Before starting on an endeavor, get clear about what you want really want. Not like, "I really want a house", but like "I really want to have an economic, stable place where I can live, grow food, relax, have fun, work on projects, and visit with friends."
2. Then explore what that statement means, really. What does it mean to build a place that has all of those qualities? What does it mean to be economic? It could relate to money, and it could also relate to long term heating and maintenance costs. When you evaluate different options against these costs over time, you may find that scrimping now on materials, in some circumstances, will end up costing you more. You might also find that having a house that uses passive solar techniques, and permaculture is also important.
3. Don't be afraid to take time going down different 'tangents' or thought experiments. Time spent up front on exploring a wide range of options will ultimately mean that the project will be smarter, better suited for it's real task, economical, and better able to sustain itself.
4. As stated by one of the preeminent modern philosophers of our time, you should always "know when to hold 'em," and "know when to fold 'em." Seriously. There are so many pieces of crap out there that were expensive to build, and that were discarded or abandoned just months after the project was completed. Don't build something unless you are sure that it meets all of the important needs of the project.
5. Never stop asking questions. Let's say that you have the foundation for your new house poured just as you come to the realization that the greenhouse would be better placed in a different orientation with respect to the rest of the house. Don't let the question go. Oftentimes the solutions you find to patch something up is the very thing that you end up loving most once the project is finished.
6. Don't let the deadlines set you. Deadlines are important, but their real importance should be measured against a whole list of pros and cons. We often get behind deadlines in an almost religious way. Maybe there are things that need to happen by a certain time because of external constraints, but are there some things that can come later if doing so would ultimately produce better results? It's not always the answer we want to hear (because we all prefer things DONE) but sometimes it will be what is needed for the best outcome.
7. Get jiggy with it. Relax and have some fun. Innovative solutions do not come to a closed or serious mind. The sweetest juices of creativity only come from the ripest fruits. I'm not sure what that means, but it doesn't matter.