Vox

Leitura de 11 min

Your Angle of Approach in Problem Solving

Summary

The episode addresses the common experience of hitting mental blocks when solving problems, particularly in development work. Host Jonathan Cottrell explains that our natural tendency is to continue grinding away at problems using the same approaches and tools, hoping that persistence alone will eventually break through the barrier. However, this approach often fails because it doesn’t address the fundamental issue of perspective.

Cottrell introduces the concept of ‘angle of approach’ - the perspective from which we’re trying to solve a problem. He argues that when we’re stuck, it’s usually not an issue with our skills or abilities, but rather with the angle we’re taking. The problem isn’t that we can’t wield our tools effectively, but that we need to change how we’re looking at the problem itself.

The host offers three practical steps to change your angle of approach. First, recognize when you’ve hit a mental block - a key sign being when you’re repeatedly visiting the same search results or trying the same solutions without progress. Second, intentionally step away from the problem to give your brain time to process information subconsciously and form new connections. Third, change your medium - move from computer to whiteboard, talk through the problem with someone, or simply reorganize how you’re thinking about it.

Cottrell emphasizes that taking breaks isn’t wasted time but rather allows your brain to work in the background. Even small shifts in perspective can make significant differences in problem-solving. The episode concludes by reminding listeners that these short episodes are designed to fit into brief breaks throughout their day, whether during commutes, gym sessions, or tea breaks.

Recommendations

Techniques

  • Changing mediums when stuck — Switching from computer to whiteboard or paper, or discussing problems verbally with others to force new perspectives on stubborn problems.
  • Intentional breaks — Stepping away from problems to allow subconscious processing, taking walks, or switching to different tasks to overcome mental blocks.

Tools

  • Linode — Cloud hosting service offering Linux servers starting at 20 credit for Developer Tea listeners using code DEVELOPERTEA2018.

Topic Timeline

  • 00:00:00 — Introduction to mental blocks in problem solving — Jonathan Cottrell introduces the episode’s topic about experiencing brain blocks when stuck on problems. He frames this as a common experience for developers and sets up the discussion about breaking through mental barriers by changing perception and approach.
  • 00:01:19 — Sponsor segment - Linode cloud services — The episode transitions to a sponsored segment promoting Linode’s cloud services. Cottrell highlights their 20 credit offer for listeners, and developer-focused customer service. He provides the promotional code DEVELOPERTEA2018 for listeners to use.
  • 00:02:38 — Identifying when you’re stuck in unproductive patterns — Cottrell returns to the main topic, describing how mental blocks manifest when we keep trying the same approaches without progress. He notes that a key indicator is when search results turn purple from repeated visits, suggesting we’re stuck in familiar but ineffective patterns.
  • 00:03:56 — Three steps to change your angle of approach — The host presents his three-step method for overcoming mental blocks. First, recognize when you’ve hit a roadblock. Second, intentionally step away from the problem to allow your brain to process information subconsciously. Third, change your medium or approach to force new perspectives.
  • 00:06:44 — Conclusion and episode format explanation — Cottrell wraps up the episode by explaining that these short episodes are designed to fit into brief breaks throughout a developer’s day. He thanks listeners and the sponsor Linode, encourages subscription for future episodes, and signs off with the show’s signature ‘enjoy your tea’ closing.

Episode Info

  • Podcast: Developer Tea
  • Author: Jonathan Cutrell
  • Category: Technology Business Careers Society & Culture
  • Published: 2018-01-17T10:00:00Z
  • Duration: 00:07:34

References

Podcast Info

Transcript

[00:00:00] Have you ever experienced a brain block, a moment where you’re just kind of stuck, and

[00:00:10] you’re not really sure where to go, what to do next to solve the problem that’s in front

[00:00:15] of you?

[00:00:16] That’s what we’re talking about on today’s episode of Developer Tea.

[00:00:20] My name is Jonathan Cottrell, and this show is created for driven developers like you

[00:00:26] to help you learn how to start breaking through some of those mental blocks.

[00:00:32] We’ve done two episodes now that deal with perception, and that’s what we’re talking

[00:00:37] about with breaking through a mental block in today’s episode as well.

[00:00:42] Because here’s the reality.

[00:00:44] Most of the time when we try to solve a problem, we continue on the same path that we started

[00:00:50] on.

[00:00:51] This is our natural way of thinking.

[00:00:54] We think that if we continue grinding…

[00:00:56] finding a way, looking at the same problem the same way, and trying to solve it with

[00:01:01] the same tools, that eventually it will break.

[00:01:05] It’s kind of a test of will, or a test of endurance.

[00:01:09] And unfortunately, a lot of the time, this isn’t the case.

[00:01:13] We’re going to talk about a few tactics to help you get through that mental block right

[00:01:16] after we talk about today’s sponsor, Linode.

[00:01:19] Today’s episode is sponsored by Linode.

[00:01:21] Linode has joined us once again in 2018, and their service continues.

[00:01:26] To deliver, you know, if you are looking to do anything with a networked server, with

[00:01:33] a Linux server that is available on the internet, then Linode is probably the best answer for

[00:01:42] you because they provide the best dollar per gigabyte deal on the market.

[00:01:47] You can get a one gigabyte of RAM server spun up on Linode for 5 a month.

[00:01:56] It’s the cheapest deal that you’re going to find.

[00:01:58] But here’s the reality.

[00:02:00] Even if it was $10 a month, Linode would be worth it.

[00:02:03] And here’s why.

[00:02:04] Linode has excellent customer service.

[00:02:07] They have a team that is dedicated to developer success, and they’re going to give you $20

[00:02:12] worth of credit just for free.

[00:02:15] Just for being a developer to your listener, you get $20 on Linode’s services.

[00:02:20] And you can use that on any of their services.

[00:02:22] It’s a credit that goes to your account.

[00:02:23] So go and check it out.

[00:02:25] Speck.fm slash Linode.

[00:02:26] And make sure you use the code DEVELOPERTEA2018 at checkout.

[00:02:31] That’s speck.fm slash Linode and the code DEVELOPERTEA2018.

[00:02:35] So thank you again for listening to today’s episode.

[00:02:38] We’re talking about breaking through these mental barriers, these brain blocks.

[00:02:44] It’s a moment where you’re just not making any progress.

[00:02:48] And for whatever reason, you keep on…

[00:02:50] You know, a good signifier of this is if you keep on Googling something and the top five

[00:02:56] or 10 links are already turned purple.

[00:02:58] You’ve already visited those links.

[00:03:00] You’ve already tried those same pathways.

[00:03:02] And unfortunately, your brain isn’t really getting the signal, right?

[00:03:06] It’s just continuing to try.

[00:03:08] And this isn’t the right way to solve the problem.

[00:03:11] At some point, your brain has to realize that what it’s doing is not working.

[00:03:18] This has implications that go all the way throughout your entire career, not just with

[00:03:25] coding problems.

[00:03:26] And not just with, you know, algorithmic problems necessarily, but with every problem you face.

[00:03:34] If you run up against a problem and you continue to fail at solving it, and you keep on trying

[00:03:39] the same methods, it’s very likely that it’s not an issue with your practiced skill.

[00:03:45] It’s not an issue with your ability to wield whatever those tools are.

[00:03:49] Most likely, it’s an issue with the angle that you are taking, your angle of approach.

[00:03:56] So I have three quick steps to help you change your angle of approach.

[00:04:00] The first one is, certainly, you have to identify when that roadblock has occurred, when your

[00:04:06] mental block has occurred.

[00:04:09] And this is really difficult to do because, again, we have that signal telling us that

[00:04:13] if we just take one more step in that same direction, we’re going to get there.

[00:04:17] But that’s not realistic.

[00:04:19] It’s not representative of reality.

[00:04:22] And so instead, what we need to do is recognize.

[00:04:25] When we’re continuing in the same direction and stop, take a moment, and this is step

[00:04:31] number two, take a moment and go away from the problem.

[00:04:34] It’s not intuitive, but in order to solve a problem, and more specifically, in order

[00:04:40] to create new connections in your brain, in order to be creative, you actually have to

[00:04:46] take some time away from the subject material.

[00:04:51] This is kind of decompression time.

[00:04:53] Your brain is actually assimilating information.

[00:04:56] It’s making connections without you cognitively trying to create or forge those connections.

[00:05:02] It’s working in the background.

[00:05:03] So taking a step away from the problem quite literally gives your brain time to understand

[00:05:09] what’s going on.

[00:05:10] Most of the time, even if you just take a quick walk around the block, or if you go

[00:05:15] and start working on a different project, maybe catch up on email, even though I don’t

[00:05:19] recommend doing that too early in the day, if you start doing that kind of stuff, your

[00:05:23] brain is going to flip into that.

[00:05:26] Secondary mode.

[00:05:27] And then when it returns to the problem, you’ll have a fresh perspective, a new way of thinking

[00:05:33] about it.

[00:05:33] Now, this is important to note that this isn’t some kind of perfect science.

[00:05:38] It’s not going to work every single time exactly the same way.

[00:05:42] But most of the time, if you take some time away, if you take some rest time, when you

[00:05:47] return to that problem, you will most likely have a different perspective.

[00:05:51] Now, a more intentional way of approaching this is to take a step.

[00:05:55] And use a different medium.

[00:05:57] Very simply, if you’re on a computer, go to the drawing board, literally go to a whiteboard

[00:06:03] or a piece of paper, or take your computer, laptop, close it, and look at the person that

[00:06:09] you’re working with and start talking.

[00:06:11] Talk with them.

[00:06:12] Talk through the problem.

[00:06:14] Talk through the entire process of what is happening.

[00:06:18] A lot of the time, what you’re going to find is that by simply changing the medium, by

[00:06:23] reorganizing the way you’re thinking about something.

[00:06:25] That’s going to force you to think about something that you weren’t thinking about

[00:06:29] previously, right?

[00:06:31] That’s a very simple kind of prodding to your brain to do something slightly different.

[00:06:38] And that simple shift, even if it’s a slight shift, that simple shift can make all of the

[00:06:43] difference in the world.

[00:06:44] Thank you so much for listening to today’s episode.

[00:06:47] Today is a short episode.

[00:06:49] That’s the whole goal of this show, in the beginning at least.

[00:06:52] It was to create these short episodes so you can have something to take.

[00:06:55] With you in any kind of format, you know, whether you’re literally taking a tea break or if you’re

[00:07:01] going to the gym or you’re on your commute, the point of these short episodes is for you to fit

[00:07:06] them in in that short period of time.

[00:07:09] Thank you so much for listening.

[00:07:10] Thank you again to today’s sponsor, Linode.

[00:07:12] Linode is providing you an excellent service of Linux in the cloud.

[00:07:17] Check it out, spec.fm slash Linode.

[00:07:19] Thank you again for listening.

[00:07:21] Make sure you subscribe if you want to miss out on future episodes of Developer Tea.

[00:07:25] And I’ll see you in the next one.

[00:07:25] Bye.

[00:07:25] Bye.

[00:07:25] Bye.

[00:07:25] Bye.

[00:07:25] Bye.

[00:07:25] Bye.

[00:07:25] Bye.

[00:07:25] And until next time, enjoy your tea.

Visão de gráfico