Our ability to pursue self-generated goals over extended timeframes is central to human cognition and behaviour. However, scientific studies of these higher-order action processes have traditionally fallen into two isolated research domains. On one hand, executive function research has uncovered a great deal about how our brain coordinates complex action sequences to solve multi-step problems. On the other hand, research on volition has begun to unravel the neural mechanisms that enable us to initiate actions independent of immediate external stimuli. However, to date both camps have neglected the intimate connections between these two processes: many complex problems can be solved in multiple ways, and thus choosing and generating our own path is central to reaching an effective solution. In this talk, I will present findings from behavioural, neuroimaging (fMRI), and EEG studies that examine how volition and problem solving are interconnected in the human brain. In combination, these results reveal new connections between the brain mechanisms underpinning problem solving and volitional action – and suggest that the ability to generate our own courses of action is more central to problem solving than we might usually appreciate.