Few years ago, I used to have this craze of trying to apply the latest thing I had learnt or read at the immediate next task. When I learnt the "Facade pattern", I wanted to include it in the next piece of code I wrote. When I learnt the blue ocean strategy, I wanted to call every other market opportunity a blue ocean. After a while I realised that I had passed the epidemic to others too. At times it was to embarrassing levels where people around me started freely using the term "untapped market" in embarrassing contexts.
The wake up call came from a colleague, who bluntly criticised me for this obsession. My ego was heavily wounded. Spontaneously I attempted to defend myself, but in my head I knew his observation was correct.
In my own journey I haven't still come out of this syndrome, not sure whether I could ever come out. But by following a few quick things, I think I have managed to keep my urge under check. In case, if someone else also has the same 'syndrome', I thought sharing my 'therapy' might help and open a discussion on how others deal with this and learn from them.
Now I try to reflect and try to observe my own analytical process gravitating towards the latest read item, which is helping me to suppress the instinctive urge to use the latest thing I had learnt out of context. I have started asking tough questions from myself, on the contextual relevance and applicability. Secondly I had started to do these experimentations alone on a piece of paper, so it doesn't happen in public, till I really know its relevant. Thirdly, I had increased the amount of time spent on reading, so that I read things for the joy of gaining knowledge and perspective, than with the intent of applying immediately.
