Even more useful as a first step in my opinion is to think about problem solving per se. E.g. see: Mason, Burton, & Stacey, Thinking Mathematically Pólya, How

Even more useful as a first step in my opinion is to think about problem solving per se. E.g. see: Mason, Burton, & Stacey, Thinking Mathematically Pólya, How to Solve It; Mathematics and Plausible Reasoning (2 vols); Mathematical Discovery (2 vols) Schoenfeld, Mathematical Problem Solving Larson, Problem-Solving Through Problems