Top tools and tips for developers - #005

“Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.”

We understand the importance of efficiency, productivity, and focussed work for programmers and to help coders be more productive, we share bite-sized tips, tools, and shortcuts for developers at our discord server. This is a round-up blog of that.

Table of contents:

• Why all developers should workout
• A productivity tool for developers
• A productivity tip for developers
• The 3 musketeers you need, to stay productive
• Importance of setting realistic goals
• The Hamster Wheel of Productivity

1. Do you work out consistently?🏃‍♀️🏃

If the answer is NO, this is why exercise is crucial to stay productive?

• Daily exercise improves your productivity greatly.
• You're more alert and have increased energy.
• It's a boon for mental health.
• It also helps you cope with stress better.
• A person should get at least 30 minutes of exercise 5 days a week.

2. A productivity tool for developers

Taskable

What we like :

• It is a time-blocking app that also helps you set todos, reminders, and recurring tasks.
• It allows integration with slack, asana, email, Trello, etc. to manage your time and productivity.

What we don't like:

• It only provides a 14-day free trial and after that, the app is priced at $10 (billed monthly), $100 (billed annually), and custom plans for businesses.
• There is no free version of the app.
• The app takes some getting used to.

3. Productivity tip for developers

Do not multitask

While working, we are often tempted to switch between tasks but according to Deep Work (an amazing book by prof. Calvin Newport ), when we multitask or switch from one task to another, it can take up to 23 minutes to regain our state of flow because of attention residue.

Hence, focus on one task at a time for more productivity.

4. The 3 Musketeers you need, to stay productive

• Lists: Lists are the most basic way to organize big projects or subjects of focus. Simple as that. Work-related stuff - goes to the Worklist. Your side-hustle goes to the “Side Hustle” list. You get it.
• Tasks: A task should be the most concrete action item and should be formulated as a clear ‘next step’. No vague descriptions.
• Reminders: When you add reminders to your tasks - you can put your mind at ease knowing you’ll see them when the time is right. Reduce stress by adding reminders and never miss a task or deadline again.

5. Do you set tasks but you aren't able to complete your tasks? 😰

Set realistic goals

Setting goals is not just about setting a general direction for life but about giving yourself milestones of achievement that provide satisfaction throughout the journey and once you reach them. Hence, it is important to set realistic and achievable goals.

6. The Hamster Wheel of Productivity

Are you truly productive, or just ‘feeling’ productive?

Have you been using "productivity" tools that force you to: -

• Keep optimizing your workflow
• Watch 50 tutorials on YouTube just to get a basic understanding
• Lock in on the perfect template (out of thousands of options)
• Make you feel insecure about the template you end up choosing.
• Spend hours “optimizing” instead of doing actual work?

If you’ve raised your hand more than once, then my friend - you are at a high risk of being a victim of "false productivity products”. You work so hard to make them work. But you don’t get to work on what will make progress in your life.

This is what is called the "Hamster Wheel of Productivity" where you feel productive but are not productive.

Would you like to read more?

You can join Invide's new discord community for more ideas on focus and productivity for developers.

Why consider joining Invide ?

Invide is a community for remote developers with 3200+ members, it was started to assist remote developers to find jobs. You can also get your profile reviewed, attend weekly community meetups, get community support, and resources to learn something new, and much more.

Would like some help with time management?

Try our privacy-focussed, minimalist, note-taking app with markdown support - Developer Diary. It also provides deep work analytics and allows you to track your progress.
Also, it's free.