Define the Problem
What prevents you from reaching your goal?
You may need to state the problem in broad terms since the exact problem may not be obvious.
you may lack information to define it
you can confuse symptoms with underlying causes
Prepare a statement of the problem and find someone you trust to review it and to talk it over. If the problem is a job situation, review it with your supervisor or the appropriate committee or resource.
Consider these questions:
What is the problem?
Is it my problem?
Can I solve it? Is it worth solving?
Is this the real problem, or merely a symptom of a larger one?
If this is an old problem, what's wrong with the previous solution?
Does it need an immediate solution, or can it wait?
Is it likely to go away by itself?
Can I risk ignoring it?
Does the problem have ethical dimensions?
What conditions must the solution satisfy?
Will the solution affect something that must remain unchanged?