From my experience, this is immensely helpful in dealing with the problem of procrastination, which has come up a lot here on HN. I found it to be most useful in two scenarios:
1) You have a complex problem that will require a complex solution, and you're procrastinating in figuring out how to deal with the problem.
2) You're coming towards a milestone in a project, and it's time to plan out the next steps and goals.
For both of those scenarios, just taking a walk with a pen and a notepad can be the most efficient use of your time. Sometimes a bit of fresh air and slow, methodical thinking goes a long way.
1) You have a complex problem that will require a complex solution, and you're procrastinating in figuring out how to deal with the problem.
2) You're coming towards a milestone in a project, and it's time to plan out the next steps and goals.
For both of those scenarios, just taking a walk with a pen and a notepad can be the most efficient use of your time. Sometimes a bit of fresh air and slow, methodical thinking goes a long way.