Iterate away from things, not towards them

You think you know where you’re going? You don’t. You know where you are, what you’re starting with, and the rest you have to find out. Think of yourself as walking out over a frozen lake, prodding ahead with a long and pointy stick. You may know you want to get to the other side (having goals is a fine thing, very good in moderation like so many other things) but you definitely don’t know how. Don’t head directly for the goal, that’s a good way to plummet through the ice and drown in the waters below. Search for solid ice close to your feet. Accept the fact that you might have to take the long way around and be open to finding other things on the way. Be guided by the community around you: pay attention to the markers they have placed on the ice.