# Limiting factors (the problem isn’t the problem)

**Published by:** [IantheWriter.eth](https://paragraph.com/@ianthewriter/)
**Published on:** 2022-07-21
**URL:** https://paragraph.com/@ianthewriter/limiting-factors-the-problem-isn-t-the-problem

## Content

In biology, limiting factors impede the growth of a group of organisms. Left alone, a group of rabbits keeps reproducing until their population is greater than their environment can support. They can’t continue growing forever — the rabbits are limited by the amount of food available in the area. In life, limiting factors slow our progress towards our goals. Limiting factors are typically a few steps removed from the problem you initially think you’re experiencing. Finding the limiting factor lets you diagnose (and treat) the problem behind the problem. A limiting factor can take many forms: Biases Limiting beliefs about how the world works or your own capabilities Relationships that drag you down Knowledge you haven’t learned Fake ideas you need to unlearn Missing tools … When my back hurts, my first instinct is to address the problem. Maybe I do yoga or rest it. But why does my back hurt in the first place? I sit at a desk all day. When visiting Peru, I walked for miles every day with no back pain. So why am I always sitting in day-to-day life? I choose to make money through knowledge work because I see it as more prestigious than the physical labor my body might prefer. … My biases encouraged me to prioritize mind over body. Knowing this, I could bring balance into my life and spend more time walking. One way to find the limiting factor is by following your chain of thinking. Taking a few minutes to think deeply about a problem can help illuminate the invisible. Large problems become more manageable when we see the obstacle clearly. Find the limiting factor to gain the clarity of a single task.

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