When the Fix Isn’t in the Code

As much as I don’t want to admit it, I’ve learned that whenever I’m stuck on something, be it coding, creative, or life... the trick isn’t to push harder.

It’s to step sideways and look at it differently. To reframe it.

In Coding

In coding, I’ve found what helps most is taking the problem I’m having and trying to replicate it in a standalone project.

At first, I started doing this so I could ask for help on Stack Overflow and similar communities. I needed to show a clean, reproducible version of what was going wrong to (hopefully) get help. But I started to notice something: many times, the very act of extracting the problem helped me realize what the issue actually was. I solved it myself!

Lately, I find it easier to create what I’m attempting in a new blank project, free from all the little connections and dependencies that can hide the real cause. Once I’ve figured it out, it’s much easier to apply the fix back into the main project and weave it in cleanly.

This happened earlier last month when I was working on multiplatform navigation... things finally clicked once I rebuilt it in isolation. Plus I had a working version I could look back on when the threads I used to weave it in weren't working as expected.

And again this past weekend, when I was trying to get SwiftData and CloudKit syncing to play nice with the widget data. I’d been having issues with it for weeks and was so frustrated. Once I recreated it in a small, simple project and realized how straightforward it could be... it was so exciting! That one I’m still weaving in, but this time around, I’m approaching it with more hope and excitement than frustration.

In Life

Outside of coding, it’s the same idea... but that test project looks different.

Sometimes reframing comes from simply taking a break and coming back with a new mindset. Yesterday, for example, I took a live online workout class, but my head just wasn’t in it. I was going through the motions and feeling stuck.

Today, I tried a recording on the same subject from a different coach and somehow, that shift in approach made something click. Same topic, same general lesson, but a completely different experience because of where my mind was and how I approached it.

The Shift

Sometimes the fix isn’t in the code... it’s in how you’re looking at the code.

So… and I’m talking to me too... the next time you’re stuck try stepping sideways and see what changes. Maybe that new vantage point will be what you need to see how everything fits together… or at least get you a bit closer!

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🎥 Want to hear the reflection instead? Watch the quick reel version:

And like always I hope you’re having a great day!

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