[gonzo41]

Solve the problem directly in front of you.

Then understand a new problem.

Repeat.

If you then start doing things like externalizing inputs, writing tests then when your past solutions become future problems.. You will have created the guide rails on how to solve both the past problem and the future problem together. This is the futureproofing that you should be aiming for. Make sure you write at least a few unit tests that mock out the important logic parts, and write up a short 1 page document about the intent of the program, maybe with a picture and drop that in the README.