There is no problem too complex that it cannot be broken down into a series of checklists. The piloting of a 747 or an A-380, or a Space Shuttle proves this, those massive vehicles are all set in motion and maintained by checklists.
Checklists are steps for solving components of a complex or abstract problem.
Abstract problems present the embedded problem of checklist discovery. When an abstract problem first presents itself, it resembles a monolith.
We don’t yet know how to direct the large problem into the smaller component problems.
This makes the main abstract problem seem impenetrable.
Tug at the threads.
Unravel the knots.
Focus on the known issues and those issues that can be easily identified.
Aim for the low hanging fruit.
Document and explain your progress to both experts and laypersons all along the journey.
Make a friend of progress, ignore perfection, but embrace a cycle of increasing quality and improvement.
By identifying the smaller problems and organizing them into checklists, you satisfy progress on the daily goal as well as the monolithic difficult goal.
Record your progress.
Capture your failures and perform postmortems upon them.
Watch the game film. Technologists need to learn this practice from sports figures and shy away from repeating the same mistakes.
Hatch innovation from rising to the new challenge buttressed by the conquering experiences of the old challenges.