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There’s a very specific kind of suffering only developers know: you push a tiny change, and suddenly… everything breaks.
It’s 11:12 PM. You think you’re just “fixing a quick bug.” Next thing you know, it’s 3:47 AM, you’re 20 tabs deep into Stack Overflow, and you’re starting to question your career choices.
I’ve been there more times than I care to admit. But last year, I discovered one simple debugging habit that’s saved me at least three all-nighters (and probably many more micro-meltdowns).
TL;DR — The Habit:
Start writing a Debug Log Journal the moment you begin debugging.
Seriously. Open a .md file or even a scratch .txt, and log everything you test, what you expect to happen, and what actually happens. Think of it like rubber duck debugging, but on paper—and with memory.
Let me show you how it works and why it’s insanely effective.
Why We Debug Poorly (a quick breakdown)
Here’s what usually happens when debugging:
- We notice a bug.
- We try something random.
- It kinda changes behavior.
- We try something else.
- Now it’s worse.
- We forget what we changed in step 2.
- Panic sets in.
This loop creates chaos. Your working memory gets overwhelmed. You lose track of assumptions. And the longer the bug lives, the more emotional you get, making you even worse at solving it.
The worst part? By 1 AM, your brain is hot garbage—but the bug doesn’t care.
How My Debug Log Habit Works (with an Example)
Let’s say I’m working on a Python FastAPI project. Suddenly, a specific route returns a 500 error.
Here’s how my Debug Log Journal starts:
July 16, 2025 – Bug: /api/upload returns 500
- Expected: JSON with status: success
- Actual: 500 Internal Server Error, no JSON returned
Step 1: Check logs
- Found:
"AttributeError: 'NoneType' object has no attribute 'read'"
=> Might be a file upload issue.
Step 2: Inspect request payload
- Using Postman — confirmed file is being sent with
multipart/form-data.
Step 3: Add print() before file read
print("File content:", file)
- Output:
None - Hypothesis: File is not being properly parsed.
Step 4: Fix
- Realized: Forgot to include
file: UploadFile = File(...)in FastAPI route.
✅ Bug fixed at 11:28 PM.
Guess what? That issue could’ve taken me hours if I didn’t track it like this. I would’ve gone in circles checking routes, auth headers, even unrelated parts of the code.
Instead, it was fixed in 16 minutes. 💥
Why This Works So Well
Here’s what happens when you write things down during debugging:
1. You avoid repeating dead ends
Ever fixed a bug, only to reintroduce it because you forgot what you tried? Logging kills that loop.
2. It clarifies your thinking
Writing forces you to state: “I expect X. I got Y.” This exposes faulty assumptions fast.
3. You create a timeline
You’ll always know what you tried, what you changed, and when. Rollbacks get easy.
4. It builds a personal knowledge base
These notes become searchable references for future bugs. Your own mini Stack Overflow.
Bonus: Use Markdown + Git
I now keep all my debug logs in a debug-log/ folder in each project repo. Simple .md files named like:
2025-07-16-upload-route-bug.md
This gives me version control over my own problem-solving process.
You can even set up a custom Git alias to open your log folder with a single command.
Tools That Help
- Obsidian or Logseq for Markdown-based logging
- VSCode with the Markdown Notes extension
- Shell alias like
alias debuglog='cd ~/debug-logs && nvim $(date +%Y-%m-%d)-bug.md'
Real Talk: Will You Actually Do This?
You might think, “Cool idea, but I don’t have time for this when things are on fire.”
But that’s the whole point.
The act of slowing down and writing a few lines of what you’re doing is often enough to prevent total mental combustion.
If I had adopted this 5 years earlier, I probably would’ve saved 100+ hours of mindless thrashing.
Summary
The next time you're stuck on a bug:
- Open a scratchpad.
- Write what you expect, what you see, and what you try.
- Log every step, even if it seems silly.
This debugging habit saved me from at least three brutal all-nighters—and I wish I had started it sooner.
🛠 Bonus: Automate Your Debug Log Template
You can add a simple script to generate a new debug log:
#!/bin/bash
DATE=$(date +%Y-%m-%d)
read -p "Bug description: " DESC
FILENAME="${DATE}-${DESC// /-}.md"
echo -e "# Debug Log – $DESC\n\n## Date: $DATE\n\n### Summary:\n- Bug:\n- Expected:\n- Actual:\n\n### Steps Taken:\n1.\n\n### Outcome:\n\n" > ~/debug-logs/$FILENAME
code ~/debug-logs/$FILENAME
If you want to streamline your workflow even further and generate structured developer logs, summaries, or even auto-document your debugging process, I built a small desktop tool to help with that:
👉 ContentMint: Bulk SEO & Dev Log Generator
A local app to speed up writing, documenting, and publishing structured logs or articles without losing your train of thought.
Stay sane, log often. 🔧🧠
Would you try this habit? Let me know in the comments how you debug, or if you’ve got any mental models that help you stay out of the all-nighter zone.
Happy coding!
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Top comments (1)
I'll definitely try this out!