I've noticed that various physical activities alter how I think.
Typing out comments in code prior to writing the code or tests (i.e. comment-driven development) helps me think better about what I want to do than simply sitting and musing inside my head. Maybe it's the typing, maybe it's being forced to actually find words for what I think I'm thinking.
Same goes for drawing stuff on a white board. The physical act of standing up, moving my arms, pacing around in front of the board, all seem to alter my thinking.
Finally, I seem to be better able to find stuff in my house if I move my fingers a lot while wandering around looking. Seems to help me focus.
Typing out comments in code prior to writing the code or tests (i.e. comment-driven development) helps me think better about what I want to do than simply sitting and musing inside my head. Maybe it's the typing, maybe it's being forced to actually find words for what I think I'm thinking.
Same goes for drawing stuff on a white board. The physical act of standing up, moving my arms, pacing around in front of the board, all seem to alter my thinking.
Finally, I seem to be better able to find stuff in my house if I move my fingers a lot while wandering around looking. Seems to help me focus.