Read the jump as a percentage
Moving from a 10-pound dumbbell to a 15-pound dumbbell adds five pounds, but it also adds half the original weight. Going from 50 to 55 pounds adds the same five pounds and only one tenth of the original load. The rack can make very different jumps look equally small.
Use the plan, not the gap on the rack
If your program calls for gradual changes, ask your coach what to do when the next available weight is a large jump. Options may include staying with the current load, adjusting the planned reps, or using equipment that offers smaller steps. Those choices should fit your program rather than a rule borrowed from someone else's workout.
Count the equipment honestly
Record whether your number means one dumbbell, both dumbbells together, or a loaded bar. For a barbell, include the bar if that is how your program tracks weight. Do not compare a machine's number directly with a dumbbell number; the equipment is different. A clear record beats a bigger-looking one.
Progress is not a shelf obligation
The next dumbbell exists whether or not today is the right day to pick it up. Finish the work your plan calls for and note how it went. If the equipment limits the next step, solve that with your coach rather than letting the rack write the program.
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