

Ask HN: What should I do if I suffer from 'pre-optimization syndrome'? - mlLK

More or less, I'm looking for answers in the form of steps, exercises, tips, tools, or rules-of-thumb.<p>Any help is appreciated since while I know pre-optimization is the root of all evil, I still at times feel so helpless that even a simple key-stroke becomes unbearable.<p>Is the root of the problem my train of thought? I perhaps try to do much problem-solving in my head and, more often than not, get caught in a what-if loop. This needs to stop before it finally results in a stroke or change of a career.
======
queensnake
Are you depressed? Depression can make it hard to make decisions, which I take
the liberty of interpreting (being /able/ to make decisions, rather) as,
'having enough life-force to not sweat the small stuff', which might apply to
getting stuck on micro-optimizations too.

In which case, exercise, get enough sleep, and tell yourself you can catch
what matters in a profiler at the end :)

~~~
eli
+1 on sleep. You'd really be amazed at the difference this makes in how you
think and act.

------
jwilliams
_I know pre-optimization is the root of all evil_

Doesn't have to be - try turning it to your advantage.

If you need some inspiration, have a read of (fiction):
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Discovery_of_Slowness>

