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Josh Branchaud
Josh Branchaud

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Tackle that Big Task

Sometimes a programming task (or really any task) feels like a really big unknown. The thing to do at that point is to break it down into a bunch of smaller unknowns.

Go through them one at a time by exploring, experimenting, and learning so that each one is no longer an unknown. After a bit of this, you may want to revisit the big unknown.

The first thing you'll notice is that it is not so big anymore. The second thing you might notice is that what you now know changes your perspective on the problem. You realize the original trajectory you had when it was one big unknown was a bit off target.

This is an opportunity to adjust. This reframing will lead you to ask new and different questions. It will send you down the path of unlocking another set of small unknowns that propel you forward.

Big, daunting tasks can kill momentum. Breaking those big tasks down and making steady progress creates momentum.

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