Okay, so today I decided to dive into this “leopard spirit” thing. I’d heard about it, you know, being all focused and agile, like a leopard hunting its prey. I wanted to see if I could actually apply that to my coding. I’ve been feeling kinda sluggish lately, getting distracted easily.
First thing I did was clear my workspace. Like, really clear it. No coffee mugs, no random papers, just my laptop, my notebook, and a pen. I even turned off notifications on my phone and put it in another room. Total isolation. Needed to get in the zone, you know?
Setting the Stage
- Clean Workspace: Gotta minimize those distractions.
- Phone Away: Seriously, that thing is a productivity killer.
- One Task: I picked one specific bug I wanted to squash.
Then, I spent a solid 15 minutes just thinking about the problem. No coding yet. I sketched out the relevant functions on paper, traced the data flow, and tried to pinpoint exactly where things were going wrong. It felt weird at first, not immediately jumping into the code, but it actually helped me focus my energy. It was like, I was stalking the bug, figuring out its habits before I pounced, very much getting into the leopard analogy, I guess.
Once I had a good idea of what was happening, I started coding. But I didn’t just flail around. I moved deliberately, adding print statements to check my assumptions, stepping through the code with the debugger. Every step was intentional. Every change had a purpose. It was slow going, for sure, but surprisingly satisfying.
I took short breaks every 30 minutes. Just stepped away from the computer, stretched, and looked out the window. Didn’t check email, didn’t browse social media. Just let my brain rest for a few minutes, let my eyes rest also from staring at the screen all this time. Like a leopard pausing to survey its surroundings, I guess.
After about three hours of this focused effort, I finally found the bug! It was a stupid little off-by-one error, but it had been causing all sorts of headaches. The feeling of finally nailing it was amazing. Like, I’d actually hunted down the problem and fixed it. Feels exhilarating.
So, did I actually embody the “leopard spirit”? I don’t know, maybe. But this focused approach definitely worked. It was a totally different experience than my usual chaotic coding style. I felt more in control, more efficient, and way less stressed. I’m definitely going to try this again tomorrow. Might even make it a regular thing. It’s like they always say, “Work smarter, not harder.” I’m beginning to understand how.
