Work smarter, not harder is common wisdom for solving difficult problems. Analysis is the process of applying our knowledge intelligently to solve difficult problems. Upfront analysis saves time. It’s about working smarter, not harder.

Recently, when playing FreeCell to take my mind off an essay I was writing, a thought occurred to me: FreeCell illustrates the value of upfront analysis and design. On a number of essays on yuwantitwhen.com, I’ve advocated that doing proper upfront analysis and design on our software projects is the best way to secure success for your projects and to shorten schedules. Similarly, in FreeCell, I’ve won more games on the first try when I devoted more time to upfront analysis and developing a strategy.

When I was a high school student I was an avid competitor in the sport of wrestling. It’s an extremely demanding and punishing sport: requiring extreme stamina, strength, skill, agility, and mental toughness. You have to have a strong mind to compete successfully in wrestling. When you’re in the 3rd period of a match, you’re exhausted, and your opponent continues aggressively to push the action, only the tough-minded continue to fight and pull out a win.