if you question what you see, get a second opinion

The macro buttons I normally used in an Excel add-in disappeared one day. I tried a number of fixes before reaching out to a colleague. Through investigation the mystery was solved. It appears the UI was changed from one release to the next. Confirming the change with someone else provided the critical insight to move forward with the process. An external sanity check was the critical help to move my work forward.

simplify with a different perspective

When faced with a problem, consider consulting someone else for a different perspective. They may provide a solution that completely negates the obstacle you were facing. I was frustrated with a process related to expenses. A friend provided an insight that removed the steps causing me the most problems.

win the championship while keeping practice in perspective

During a training my team kept our focus on the key goals. We prepared for the main objective during the time allocated for mini-assignments. As a result we won the grand championship with a more polished, complete, and effective presentation. Instead of getting lost in the weeds, we kept the view of the forest. Our advance work saved time and stress in the final preparation leading up to the competition.