I tend to get very absorbed in small details of papers I read, or things I write. It's almost a compulsion, and it keeps me from getting anything done even if I spend a lot of time working.

For example, suppose I'm reading a book on a technical subject and find an aspect of a proof I don't understand. I can spend hours on it, to the detriment of my understanding of the rest of the book (which I have to rush through later) and of my other projects. But when I try to switch to something else, the nagging question about the technical detail pulls me back.

Basically, I am not comfortable with skipping something that may be important and coming back to it later. Has anyone else experienced this problem?