How to cut programmer’s block with a Gorkha khukri

Writers are known to have ‘Writer’s block’ — a spell during which they are not able to write anything, in spite of all efforts.

A programmer suffering from programmer’s block, similarly, stares at computer screen, hands on keyboard — whole day. But no worthwhile code is produced. I suffered from such an attack a few years back, and to fight back, used — quite successfully — a tactic inspired by Gorkha tradition.

Khukri (alternate spelling Kukri) is a mid sized, curved knife — companion of famous Gorkha warriors from Nepal. The legend has it that a Gorkha warrior, having pulled Khukri out of its protective cover, would not put it back without drawing some blood. What if a Gorkha warrior pulls out Khukri for attack and after that gets better handle on the situation — say the opposing party is actually not enemy but friend? In this case, the warrior would use Khukri to draw few drops of blood from his little finger. This guarantees that the Khukri never fails.

How can Gorkha’s Khukri help with the programmer’s bloc? Same prescription works to fight the block: Never close a programming session without any gain. If you can not achieve the big results originally aimed, at least get some simpler improvements — a comment here, a renaming there, fix a trvial bug lurking elsewhere. Just don’t close the session without making some tangible progress. Yes, you had aimed high, but now find it not possible to move ahead — that happens to all of us, let’s accept it. Now , take a very tiny, safe baby step — but do not return from the programming session empty handed!

Why it works ? The tactic ensures that we keep the momentum. It uses the famous baby-step-principle. And its in line with the Agile philosophy — so it must work ;)

Ayo Gorkhali !