The 4-Step Framework I Use to Handle Any Problem

(Stolen from Architecture School)

So here's something that might sound weird at first.

I genuinely believe that architecture students have one of the most powerful stress management systems I've ever seen. And I'm not talking about designing buildings. I'm talking about a mental framework that works for literally everything from missing a deadline to dealing with existential crysis at 3am.

Let me explain.

The "Do or Die" Years

When I started architecture school, I had this romanticized idea of what it would be like. Sketching beautiful buildings, creative freedom, that sort of thing.

Reality hit different.

The first year was brutal. But the work was impossibly hard, because of the underlying principle that governed everything: sink or swim. There was no hand holding. No safety net. You either figured it out or you didn't make it.
​
When I was finishing my master's degree, I drank two energy drinks every two weeks in a row and didn't sleep for more than four days (please don't do this; I had auditory hallucinations afterwards, haha).

And honestly? At the time, I hated it.

But looking back now, I realize it gave me something incredibly valuable. A systematic way of thinking about problems that I still use today for everything from creative blocks to business challenges.

The Framework (And Why It Actually Works)

Here's the thing. When you're in architecture school and you have a project due in 48 hours that you've barely started, you don't have time for overthinking. You develop a process. And that process looks like this:

Step 1: Understand the Actual Problem

This sounds obvious, but most of us skip this step completely.

When something goes wrong, our default mode is panic first, think later. We immediately jump to solutions without actually understanding what we're solving for.

I learned to pause. To sit with the discomfort for a moment and ask: what is the actual problem here? Not the surface level stress, but the root issue.

For example, "I'm anxious about this presentation" isn't the problem. The problem might be "I haven't clarified my main message" or "I don't know my audience well enough."

See the difference?

Step 2: Decompose It (The Architecture Superpower)

This is where architectural thinking really shines.

Architects don't look at a building and see one massive overwhelming thing. They see systems. Structure, circulation, envelope, services. Each system breaks down further into small pieces.

The same applies to any problem.

That impossible project? It's not one thing. It's probably 15 smaller tasks. That career transition you're stressed about? Break it down. Research, networking, skill building, portfolio work. Each piece suddenly feels doable.

There's actually science behind this. This is called “eating an elephant one bite at a time”, and it works because our brains handle small, concrete tasks way better than abstract, massive goals.

Step 3: What Can I Actually Control?

This one is critical, and it's where most people waste their energy.

In architecture, there are always limitations. Budget, physics, building codes, client opinions. You can't change these things. Fighting them is pointless.

So you focus on what you can control. Your design decisions. Your presentation. Your time management.

When you're stressed, ask yourself: is this thing within my control? If yes, make a plan. If no, let it go. Sounds simple, but it's genuinely life changing when you actually do it.

Step 4: Take Action (Any Action)

Here's what I've noticed.

Anxiety lives in the gap between knowing you should do something and actually doing it.

The moment you start moving, even if it's the wrong direction, the anxiety decreases. Because you're no longer stuck in your head.

You don't sit around planning the perfect design. You start sketching, building models, testing ideas.

Same thing applies to everything else. Stuck on a decision? Pick something and test it. Worried about a project? Do the smallest possible next step.

The Insight That Changed Everything

Here's something I wish someone had told me earlier.

If you're in a period where nothing seems to be moving, where you're stuck, where projects aren't coming in or opportunities aren't appearing, it doesn't necessarily mean you're failing.

Sometimes it's just the loading screen.

I've noticed this pattern in my own life and in talking to other people. Often the periods of apparent stagnation right before a breakthrough. You're not stuck. You're accumulating. Learning. Building capacity.

The worst thing you can do is stop moving because you don't see immediate results.

How to Actually Use This

Okay, so here's the practical bit. Next time you're facing a problem, any problem, try this:

Write down what the actual problem is

Pick the smallest action you can take right now and do it

That's it. Don't overcomplicate it.

And if architecture school taught me anything, it's that the right system beats raw talent every single time.

Keep building,
​
Best,
​
Ross Plemya