[7:51 pm: Visiting a detective for problem solving tips (one can never have enough).]

I've suggested my team start a journaling habit to help with their projects. It's a great way to work out tricky problems because as you write what's on your mind, you'll find gaps in your knowledge. You can then prioritize, quickly investigate, or eliminate them.

I've used a form of journaling to trace bugs in code I'm not familiar with. I'd write my first impressions of what the problem could be, describe the current state of the program, and add links to resources that looked like they might help. Noting this down in chronological order helps me revisit leads that didn't look promising when I first stumbled upon them.

Chris and Nancy have a lengthy process for writing book summaries. They can do some of it on-the-go while ideas are still fermenting, stoking curiosity about the subjects they're reading about. It’s one reason I’m developing The Pathwooded Word Count Tracker.

Once I've built it, The Pathwooded Word Count Tracker would help you elaborate on your thoughts while doing other things:

• Cleaning your room
• Washing dishes
• Preparing dinner
• Waiting in a long customer service queue
• Watching TV
• Standing in a grocery line
• Commuting to and from work
• Showering
• Waiting for an Uber or Lyft ride
• Exercising
• Traveling between star systems in Eve Online
• Walking the dog
• Thinkitating
• In the waiting room of your dentist, doctor, car mechanic, etc.
• Watching your opponent clear the billiards table

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