18 Days with Sherlock – Day 14 – Pay Attention

Sherlock was forever getting on to Watson because he would examine the same crime scene but not see the things that Sherlock saw. It is very likely you have the answer to your dilemma already in your possession but you just don’t see it. You need to lay out all of your facts in an organized manner and then study what you already know. Put your data in a different format, like a table, and then come up with a list of possible scenarios and a list of things that cannot be. For more information on his to do this see Analyzing the Data. You can also see an example of how to put your data in a table form on Ginger's Blog. A second analyzing your data post is in the works which will contain some fun examples.

“You see, but you do not observe.” [Holmes to Watson, "A Scandal in Bohemia"]

“Sherlock Homes was a man, however, who, when he had an unsolved problem upon his mind, would go for days, and even for a week, without rest, turning it over, rearranging his facts, looking at it from every point of view until he had either fathomed it or convinced himself that his data was insufficient.” [Watson speaking of Holmes, "The Man with the Twisted Lip"]

“Before we start to investigate that, let us try to realize what we do know, so as to make the most of it, and to separate the essential from the accidental.” [Holmes to Watson, "The Priory School"]

“Now, let us calmly define our position, Watson. Let us get a firm grip of the very little which we do know, so that when fresh facts arise we may be ready to fit them in their places.” [Holmes to Watson, "The Devil’s Foot"]

Copyright © 2012 Michele Simmons Lewis