Step Away from the Problem

A few days ago, I was working on a small application for some people at Work. Part way into the project, I went out briefly on an errand.

Driving down the street, I suddenly realized that I could (and should) make a simple change to the user interface that would result in less risky code as well as a better experience for the users.

Later that day, I found myself banging my head against some JavaScript. No matter what I did, it was not working. I'm not a master JS programmer, so I figured it was probably just something I didn't understand yet about the code. Still frustrated, I stepped away for lunch.

When I returned to my desk, the first thing I saw was that two forms on the same page had the same name. Oops. That's not going to work. I renamed one and the JS code worked as planned.

When you're in the middle of a problem, it can be difficult to step away. Your brain wants to Solve This Thing Right Now. But many times, stepping away is just what is needed.

Years ago, I worked 40 miles from my house. Every day I drove to Work in the morning and home in the evening on the World's Most Beautiful Freeway, a sparsely populated stretch of road that runs alternately between cow pastures, beside rolling hills, and past several lakes. At the halfway point, where the fog could often be seen creeping over the ridge, I'd frequently realize the answer to problems that had been bothering me before I left Work.

When my conscious brain was allowed to ignore the problem and think about something else, my subconscious would take over and find a solution.

After I observed this phenomenon a few times, I got much better at stepping away from whatever problem I was working on at the end of the day. Better to leave on time and return tomorrow to resolve the problem quickly than stay a few extra hours pulling my hair in frustration.

Over time, I have learned to put new projects on "the back burner", allowing them to sit and percolate in the quiet part of my mind. It may appear that I am not working on a project. Nevertheless, after a few hours, or a day or so, I'll think "Oh. I could do it this way!". Results are achieved with far less stress than if I sat and consciously stared at the project, willing it into code.

I'd like to think the results are also better. My subconscious is given to flashes of insight. I think she's actually smarter than me. :-)