Zoom out

It’s easy to get stuck in the details. Some say “lost in the weeds.” Or “can’t see the forest through the trees.”

I think that target fixation is the most accurate term. The biggest issue is that it’s hard to know to stop and take a step back.

When you’re deep into debugging or caught in a repetitive iteration loop without making progress, zoom out.

Literally stand up and step back from the computer. Then start thinking about the problem at a higher level. Maybe even take a walk, sleep on it, or talk to a colleague.