Intermission

For the last month, things have been a little busy. My wife had been traveling for 2 weeks, which meant I got to work from home to keep up the house and family. Once she was back, it was my turn to travel for work. Four days in Boston, home for two, then four days in New York for a conference along with some face time with a partner company. Finally, I'm back home and relaxing with the family.

During all this, I was able get pretty far on the code for part 3 of our meta-driven adventure. But with the schedule being what it was, this meant I haven't been able to get the write-up out. It did give me some time to read and expand on my ideas, time with other teams to observe their issues, and think back on what I've pulled together so far. I found other articles that showed me where I clean up or simplify the current code as well as bits of affirmation on the ideas.

The Why

This brings me to the point of this intermission… Don't forget to take a moment and step back from what you're currently focused on. Look at the piece from different angles. Read on different topics or discuss other ideas. You'd be surprised at the inspiration that strikes when you're not hyper focused. Also, review what you've already produced. As developers, we tend to move on to the next codebase or shiny object. We don't go back through our “active code” enough and try to figure out “how can I do this better". Not all of us do this, but I see it enough that I think it's worth mentioning.

Conclusion

Take some time for you. Step away from the codebase. Explore other ideas. And above all else… enjoy.