Your code may be a bad influence on you. When you set out to tackle a specific task driven by a certain customer need the code can quickly lead you astray. Sometimes it tempts you with juicy refactorings that look relevant to your task but end up being long distractions with little immediate value. Other times it might suggest new code that fits nicely into the current architecture and almost but not quite fills the customer’s needs. Worst of all are the cases when the existing code is so bad that it can be difficult to focus on the needed changes at all.
The solution: step away from the code. Often times it’s too easy to write more code. Spending too much time sitting at the keyboard listening to what the code is telling you can be a dangerous time sink. It can be helpful several times a day to get away from the screen and reflect on what you are trying to accomplish. You might be surprised how much time taking a walk can save you.
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