Yesterday, I visited my local library. I wanted to get some writing done, and I've found that the Quiet Wing of the library is conducive for this. (I've also found it helps to go somewhere slightly unfamiliar, and with far fewer distractions.) As is seemingly usual, a large jigsaw puzzle was set out (and in progress) on one of the tables. As is my custom, I lingered at it briefly and placed a few pieces. I wasn't able to add much to the main body of the puzzle, but I was able to join a few loose pieces with their respective neighbors.
As I was heading out (it was beginning to get late[-ish], and I had written an acceptable amount), I glanced over, and noticed that a stray piece had fallen off the table and onto the floor. Now, I was standing several feet away from the table, so the piece was clearly visible to me. However, a person standing right next to the table wouldn't have been able to see it, due to how it had fallen. I paused briefly, picked up the stray piece, and returned it to its brethren. The person who was currently working on the puzzle thanked me, and I continued on my way.
What occurred to me shortly thereafter, that I should have said (but didn't as I hadn't thought of it), was that sometimes we need to take a few steps back from the problem, and we may notice something we didn't see before.
We get so caught up in the fine details that we lose sight of the big picture. We obsess over the problem to such an extent that we forget that there is life, that an entire world exists beyond the problem. Take a few steps back. In the grand scheme of things, is this really such a big deal? (I say this with the expectation that for the majority of the people who read this [if there are any], the answer will be "no". If the answer really is "yes" for you, you have my sympathy.)
Walk away briefly. Go get some exercise. Spend some time away from it. Come back to the problem with a fresh mind, and you may find yourself having a much easier time of solving it than you did before.
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