Years ago I worked for an experienced data processing manager. The fact that the job was in data processing should indicate the I am now an experienced IT professional. My manager would come up with these complex development problems and never give me time to actually think about how to come up with solutions. After months of getting more of these problems and not having time to actually come up with creative solutions, I snapped. I approached my manager and said how do you think I can come up with the right solutions if you never give me time to think through the problems.
This is when he explained to me that I had plenty of time to work on these problems, my one way commute was over 45 minutes on a good day. I should use this “windshield time” to think thru the problems. I realized he was right and suddenly found I had almost 2 hours a day of just think time.
Now a days many of us work on our apps at home, nights and weekends, when is our windshield time?