How Changing My Thinking Transformed My Interview Problem‑Solving

For the longest time in coding interviews, my first instinct was:

“I’ve already seen this problem before. How did I solve it?”

During prep, we solve hundreds of problems mostly by recognizing patterns and applying known solutions. But in real interviews, it’s unrealistic to remember every exact solution. What I eventually realized was this reflex was actually hurting me.

The questions looked familiar, but the constraints were different each time.

And when my first coding attempt didn’t work? Fixing or rewriting it became messy and slow.

So I tried something different: I slowed down.

Here’s what changed:

I stopped trying to recall exact past solutions

I focused on why a pattern works, not just how to apply it

I read the problem once then again until constraints were crystal clear

I sketched a rough solution on paper before writing a single line of code

At first, sure it felt slower.

But clarity came first.
And with clarity came speed, confidence, and cleaner code.

Treat every problem as new. Don’t react reflexively approach it with a clear strategy and the right use of pattern. That’s real problem‑solving, not pattern matching.

This way of thinking isn’t just for coding interviews it can help in any competition or challenge, wherever clarity and strategy matter.