Does being a developer mean coding 24x7?

Do you find yourself working way beyond your 8–5?

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The current remote ecosystem has drained one’s spirit by sitting in front of the computer the whole day. Working every hour doesn’t guarantee that you are productive. Everyone is struggling with their time which is becoming stressful and exhausting.

With endless new Jira tickets and new requests for features, I find myself drowning in the vast ocean of anxiety; coping becomes challenging. Hence I find myself doubting my abilities.

With work from home becoming more permanent, finding a way to manage your time is crucial.

Some people enjoy working on side projects after their routine work. Building new platforms, solving bugs, and contributing to code outside work, require utmost enthusiasm.

However, continuous work might have an effect on your health, both physical and mental. Therefore one must have a routine to stay productive and even healthy in the virtual world.

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More than time management, having priority management is the solution.

Remember, if you have too many priorities, then you have no priorities.

Remind yourself why you started and why you are in the game.

• Quality over quantity.

• Physically separate the spaces where you work and where you chill.

• Use a calendar; a to-do list is nothing but a Wishlist unless and until you schedule a time to complete the task.

• Take a break, or a break will take you. Burnout is no joke.

• Be direct; learn to say NO to the request, not to the person.

• Don’t wait for the shiny new first day to start working.

• Explore different productivity tools that fit you.

Many folks follow the Pomodoro technique (the most common is 25mins work with a 5 mins break system ) to stay focused and complete a task, but it doesn’t work for me. Everyone has a distinctive way of staying focused and productive; all you need to do find what serves best for you.

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If you want better results, then forget about setting goals. Focus on your system instead: Atomic habits by James Clear

Focus on improving each day, 1% each day, rather than competing with someone else.

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You should be far more concerned with your current trajectory than with your current results : James Clear

Moving forward each day by breaking the long terms goals into smaller achievable goals. As said, Inspiration has an expiration; thus, having commitment and discipline is required for your long-term success.

You can do anything. That doesn’t mean you should do everything.

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