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One thing that has helped me is journaling about the problem. I don't maintain a separate journal a al "Dear diary, today I got stumped... "

Instead I jot down my struggles along with the normal notes that I maintain about the projects I'm working on. This has often lead me to realize incorrect assumptions or discover avenues that were previously missing. It also makes my notes more interesting to read.

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That's a great idea. How often do you go back and read through your notes? Does the actual journaling help the most or reviewing the notes later?

I don't worry about that. Just write, don't think about how you'll use the notes.

Looking back, the first few years of notes aren't very useful to read. Almost all the benefit came from the act of writing. It took years for the muscle to develop, for me to start writing in a way that is conducive to reading and organization.

But don't try to do too much at the start. Just write, and keep writing. Keep it as simple as possible so the momentum is sustainable.

I practice something similar. For me though, writing is good, drawing is great!

The actual journaling is what helps me the most.

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