The name of this blog is a reference to words uttered by a friend of mine. He also added the word "noodle" to my vocabulary, which is synonymous with thinking in this context. Not to be confused with a Noodle the pug who prognosticated on what type of day we could expect to have.
Whether to myself or someone on my team, I often use the phrase "noodle on that" when the answer is non-trivial and analysis and logic are not yielding a solution. It can be relatively straightforward—I need an answer to this problem—or something more abstract—like ideation. Either way, there are times when looking for an answer is more like chasing something elusive. Finding the answer is often further compounded by some time pressure - I need to solve this by XX.
Enter Noodling.
Several times, the answer presented itself to me - but only when I took the pressure off myself. For instance, I was cramming for a math final, and the answer to a particularly gnarly calculus problem came to me in my sleep. It woke me up, presumably so I could write it down (ha). Another time, the answer came to me in the shower. Someone once attributed this to all the positive ions stimulating my brain. Whatever the reason, it's a thing - Shower Epiphanies.
As a manager, I have often suggested that they take a break from trying to solve the problem directly and noodle on it. Give yourself a break. Let the pressure off. Give your subconscious a chance to work on it. My anecdotal data is that it works the majority of the time. This has the additional benefit of letting people work it out for themselves. My belief is that things feel better when people figure something out on their own, as opposed to me giving them the answer.
See you on comfy mountain. IYKYK.
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