DevTip #3 - Step Back, Look at the Big Picture

I spent the first couple of years of my career focussing on the little details - analysing small details, trying to spot a needle in a haystack, reflecting on intricate patterns and techniques that my peers were using.

It took until I started my university course to truly see the importance of taking a step back every now and then to look at the big picture of whatever I had my head buried in.

Stepping back not only allows you to spot mistakes, it can help you steer the ship in a better direction, speed up processes and help you to better understand the problem at hand.

It can also stop “rabbit-hole programming”, something that (in my experience) can be a major productivity killer.

If you're struggling to stay motivated, looking at your overall progress can be an incentive to keep going (just don't do this too often!).

Perhaps I struggle with this more than others. This might be obvious to you if you're a natural big-picture thinker. Perhaps it is obvious - but starting to think about the big picture helped me, my career, and my degree. It just might help you too.