The Fog of Execution

There is an exhaustion that comes not from working too hard, but from working too close. You're deep in the details, solving problems, making progress. And yet somehow you feel further from the work than when you started.

You remember when this project excited you. When the vision was clear and the path forward felt obvious. Now you're buried in execution, and the excitement has been replaced by numbness.

This happens gradually. You start with a clear picture of what you're building and why it matters. Then the work begins. Each problem demands attention. Each decision branches into three more. Before long, you're operating entirely at ground level. The big picture fades. What remains is an endless sequence of small moves, none of which feel meaningful on their own.