If Something Doesn't Work, Do Something Else

– an analysis from different perspectives

Anna is sitting in front of her laptop on a Monday morning. She’s been trying to finish a presentation for hours, but she’s stuck on the same slide. She keeps moving things around, changing colors, tweaking the wording – but it just doesn’t feel right. The harder she tries, the more frustrated she gets.

After a short break, she does something totally different: she grabs a sheet of paper and starts sketching out the content by hand. Suddenly, the ideas start flowing, and within a few minutes, the structure is clear in front of her.

This little scene shows: Sometimes the solution isn’t about putting even more energy into the same path, but about having the guts to try something different. That’s exactly what the NLP presupposition “If something doesn’t work, do something else” is all about.

This NLP presupposition invites us to see flexibility as the key to solving problems. It encourages us to adapt our behavior instead of stubbornly sticking to a strategy that just isn’t working. But why is that often so hard for us? And how can we use the power of adaptability in different areas of life? Let’s look at it from a few different angles.

1. The psychological perspective: Why we often cling to old patterns

People are creatures of habit. Our brains prefer familiar paths because they take less energy. If a strategy worked in the past, we automatically assume it’ll keep being the right choice.

Example: A man takes the same route to work every morning. Suddenly, the road is closed for construction. At first, he gets annoyed, turns around, tries again – and fails again. Only when he decides to turn on his GPS and take an alternative route does he get to his destination faster. Maybe he’ll even discover a route he’ll keep using after the construction is done, because it’s shorter, nicer, or quicker.

Life is dynamic. Situations change, people grow, and what worked before might not work anymore. Still, we often stick to our usual ways of thinking and acting – out of convenience, fear of uncertainty, or just because we think we’re “right.” The problem: The more we fixate on a single solution, the more frustrated we get when it doesn’t work. But if you’re willing to question old patterns and try new ways, you boost your adaptability – a key skill for personal growth.

2. The communicative perspective: Flexibility as the key to understanding

Communication is a constant exchange of information, and misunderstandings are pretty much unavoidable. If the other person doesn’t react the way we expect, it’s often not because they don’t get it, but because our message wasn’t delivered in the right way.

Example: A teacher explains a math problem to her class. Some students get it right away, others don’t understand at all. Instead of repeating the same explanation over and over, she grabs some colorful building blocks and shows the problem visually. Suddenly, the lightbulb goes on – it’s the same info, just in a different form.

In moments like these, we have two options: We can insist that we’ve “explained it enough times already” – or we can adjust our communication style. Maybe it just needs different words, a new tone, or a different medium (like a visual instead of just talking). Being flexible in communication means using different ways to build a bridge to the other person. Instead of seeing just one way of expressing yourself as “right,” it’s more helpful to pay attention to how the other person reacts and adjust accordingly.

3. The emotional perspective: Dealing with frustration and resistance

When something doesn’t work, we often feel frustrated. Our first impulse is usually to try even harder – hoping that more pressure or more effort will get us the result we want. But here’s the catch: stubbornness alone doesn’t always help if the path itself isn’t right.

Example: A young woman wants to lose weight. She struggles, works out more, cuts out more and more foods – and just gets more frustrated because the scale doesn’t budge. Only when she redefines her goal (“more energy and well-being”) and adds yoga instead of hardcore workouts does her body start to change.

In this context, flexibility means seeing resistance not as an impossible obstacle, but as a clue. Instead of running into a wall, we can ask ourselves if there’s a door we’ve missed. Sometimes, letting go of a certain strategy takes more courage than holding onto it – but that’s exactly where real change can happen.

4. The creative perspective: Innovation through change

Lots of groundbreaking inventions and ideas didn’t come from sticking to the same old methods, but from experimenting with alternatives. Creativity means being willing to try new things and seeing mistakes as chances to learn.

Example: Pablo Picasso started out as a classical painter with realistic pictures. But he soon realized that this style wasn’t getting him anywhere. So he radically changed his style, experimented with new shapes and colors – and invented Cubism. His willingness to go totally different directions made him one of the most influential artists of the 20th century.

In art, science, and technology, it’s clear again and again: The biggest breakthroughs happen when people don’t let failure get them down, but adapt their approach. Success is rarely the result of one single, perfect plan – it’s the outcome of lots of tweaks and iterations.

5. The philosophical perspective: Change as a principle of life

In nature, there’s no rigid clinging to a single chosen strategy. Living things survive by adapting to their environment. Evolution is all about change, not stagnation.

Example: Imagine a river that hits an obstacle. It doesn’t just stop – it finds a new way. Sometimes it bubbles over, sometimes it quietly finds a path through the ground. But it’s always moving.

Human life is also a constant process of adapting. Situations change, relationships evolve, and even our own needs and goals don’t always stay the same. If you’re aware of this dynamic, you can handle changes more calmly – and use them for yourself instead of fighting against them.

Essence

The art of adaptation

The presupposition “If something doesn’t work, do something else” is more than just a simple problem-solving strategy – it’s a mindset. It reminds us that we don’t have to stick to old ways if they’re not getting us where we want to go. The real art is staying flexible, spotting alternatives, and seeing change as an opportunity.

Final metaphor: Imagine you’re playing a board game. Your plan was to go straight to the finish – but suddenly the path is blocked. Only those who roll flexibly, try out alternative routes, and dare to try a new strategy now and then will win in the end. That’s life: a game that keeps challenging us to stay creative.