Best Productivity Hacks for Developers

This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Chandan Kumar

Productivity is a major factor in making you grow professionally, and no one can sleep on that fact. However, there are a lot of external factors that hamper the productivity of the individuals. It is considered one of the most important soft skills to have if you are working as a developer in the industry. There are a lot of strategies that you can implement in your daily life to skyrocket your productivity. Moving forward in the article, we will talk about the methods that you can rely on to increase your creativity. But before that, let's have a look at the importance of productivity.

Importance of productivity for developers

The productivity of developers cannot be measured in units. Nonetheless, it depends on factors like deployment, workflow, team structure, software delivery process, development environment, and more. As an organization, you can deploy a proper structure to make the most out of the developers. The individual performances of developers can be judged on the basis of number of code reviews, average commit size, time to review, and frequency of code reviews.

Moreover, Research and Strategy expert Nicole Forsgren partnered with researchers from GitHub and Microsoft to develop the space framework. The SPACE framework stands for:

S: Satisfaction

P: Performance

A: Activity

C: Communication

E: Efficiency

Some of the best hacks to scale up your productivity are setting up an ideal workspace, time management techniques, continuous learning and improvements, maintaining work-life balance, etc. We will explain all the mentioned factors in detail below:

Setting Up The Ideal Workspace

The definition of productive workspace varies for different individuals. However, the thumb rule of setting up a workspace is that it should be ergonomic and spacious in every sense. For example, there should be ample space for your work machine (computer or laptop), keyboard, extra monitors, and more. And make sure while setting it up that your table is not cluttered.

Many researchers have found that a non-cluttered workspace increases your productivity. Defining the boundaries is another thing you should look out for while setting up a workspace.

You have to basically understand that while you work from home you are still on a professional duty. It's nothing less than working from the office. That being said , you should avoid setting up your workspace where there is a lot of human interaction possible that can ultimately distract you from achieving your goals.

What does a productive workspace give you in return?

• Better work performance: Having a workspace that is away from distractions is going to naturally improve the quality of work. And the organized tools at your workspace will only help in increasing your speed further.

• Improved focus: In a decent workspace, you will be able to focus better on the things that matter at the time of work instead of indulging in worldly affairs. Focus and refocus are major factors due to which work-from-home employees are unable to perform the work assigned to them. And as a developer, you can't lose your focus because that will create a loop of debugging the codes.

• Skyrocketed output: That is pretty obvious, if you are someone who is super focused on their work and is delivering at a fast pace then your work output will shoot up. The moment distractions are out of your life (only in the working hours) will be the moment when you will see drastic changes in your output.

Tools that help in increasing productivity

Once you have a physical workspace setup, the next goal should be to work on maintaining a virtual setup as well. For example, to keep a tab on your tasks and see your monthly progress, you can use project management software. And we cannot forget about establishing proper communication with the team, as it plays a major role in knowing what your teammates are doing and what you are supposed to do. Some of the tools that you can use for the same are:

GitHub

It can be dubbed the most popular tool amongst the developers. It is a cloud-based code repository where you can store, share and even collaborate on codes. It lets you keep a tab on the changes of a code along with version control. With this feature, you can see who has made what changes to your code. GitHub recently introduced another feature named GitHub Copilot, which helps developers kickstart their codes with suggestions related to boosting the speed of coding. The tool has both a free plan and an Enterprise plan, and you can choose any of them according to your preferences.

Postman

This one is bliss for developers as you can test your API. You can create or import APIs, test them, and then export them from Postman without any hassle. It also offers built-in support for authentication protocols like Hawk, AWS Signature, etc. It has three plans, including the basic tier ($14 per month), professional tier ($29 per month), and enterprise tier (custom pricing).

Slack

It is one of the most trusted communication tools for professional networks. The platform allows you to connect with different teams and have different channels for each of them so that the conversations don't get messed up. What's more, is that you can also get on a call, video calls, or even share screens with the help of Slack, so you don't need any other application.

Notion

Notion is the best project management application that you can rely on for all your informational and arrangement needs. The application can be used for creating work assignment channels, keeping a tab on the tasks on the basis of deadline, priority and more. The best part about Notion is that you can integrate it with a plethora of applications to streamline your day to day tasks.

VS Code

The Virtual Studio Code is a robust code editor that supports various programming languages like C++, Python, JavaScript, Java, etc. It offers other features like code highlighting, language-specific tools, and code completion. VS Code also has features like Git integration, extensions for customizing workflow, and debugging tools.

Tips to maintain your workspace

Clean it up every day: Keeping your workspace clean will always make you more drawn to it with a positive attitude. And if you clean it regularly, then there will be no chance of dust accumulation. You can either do it before beginning your work every day or when you wind your work up in the evening.

Add some greens: No, we are not talking about vegetables here. We are talking about the plants that one should keep in one's workspace in order to enhance indoor air quality, which also plays a major role in keeping one healthy. One thing which you should look out for is to choose plants that are cost-efficient and don't require a lot of maintenance. Moreover, make sure that the plants you set up don't need a lot of sunlight because, in a work-from-home setup, it could be difficult to keep them in touch with the sunlight all the time.

Keep the items you use regularly handy: The items that you use while being at work could differ from role to role. However, one thing which will help all of you is to keep these items handy. Because, you don't know when and how quickly you will be supposed to use those items while working.

Refreshments on the go: There are two things that you can't ignore while working from home - staying well-fed and hydrated. Both help enhance brain function and keep blood sugar levels balanced. If there is a possibility, then keep some snacks or beverages with you on a stand near your workspace.

Time Management Techniques

Pomodoro Technique

It is one of the most trusted time management techniques in existence as of now. The technique is based on breaking any task in a 25 minutes section and after that taking a five minute break in-between. And after four consecutive intervals, you can take a break that is longer, around 15 to 30 minutes. Now, these work intervals are called 'pomodoro' which means tomato in Italian.

As for its history, the technique was created by Entrepreneur and developer Francesco Cirillo in the 1980s. While he was a student, he used a tomato-shaped timer to work on his study schedule. He started the journey with intervals ranging from two minutes to 60 minutes. Nonetheless, he realized super soon that the most efficient time interval is 25 minutes.

The main focus of Cirillo was to make the time a friend instead of an anxiety-inducing partner. Talking about the Pomodoro technique helps individuals focus on their tasks and take breaks to make sure that they don't get exhausted. The best part about this technique is that it kills procrastination and enhances the multitasking abilities of all the people who are trying it. It also helps you accomplish more tasks in a limited period of time. There are five incremental processes that are the core of the Pomodoro technique.

• Pomodoro Internal Process: Create a seamless relationship with time to enhance productivity.
• Pomodoro Core Process: Shift all the focus to the tasks so that you can achieve your goals with minimal efforts.
• Pomodoro Daily Process: Work on a daily routine, set up a daily work process, and complete multiple tasks in a highly effective way.
• Pomodoro Weekly Process: Create a weekly routine, organize time in a better way, and accomplish several goals at once.
• Pomodoro Team Process: Learn to adapt the Pomodoro technique in a team structure.

How to work on Pomodoro technique?

The Pomodoro Core Process is something that you need to master in order to sort your work life. There are five steps that you need to follow in order to get the best out of the Pomodoro technique:

Shortlist a task for the Pomodoro you are going to start.

Now, set the time at 25 minutes.

Work on the task, and as soon as the timer sounds, record the completion time.

Take a short break. You can start with five minutes, and if you want, then the break can be even two minutes.

After four Pomodoro sessions, take a long break, which could range anywhere between 15 to 30 minutes.

Note: To get the best out of the Pomodoro technique, you can stay away from things that can cause distraction and make you miss out on the timer. While you are following a Pomodoro, you can avoid things like checking your social media accounts, news, email, etc.

Time Blocking

Time blocking is another time management technique that is used these days to increase professional performance. In this technique, you schedule out each part of the day by breaking a work week into small time slots where you can work on different projects, check emails, get a walk to refresh, or even take a simple break. It provides you with a better sense of how your day is going to be and how packed you are going to be based on the tasks that are lined up.

Basics of Time Blocking

In order to develop time blocks, you can group similar kinds of tasks together and schedule a block of time to work on them. The two principles of the same are:

Scheduling time blocks on your calendar visually so that your work cannot be interrupted while performing them.

Grouping similar tasks into a single concentrated time block.

You can try time blocking if you frequently indulge in multitasking, you struggle with overworking, you require a better sense of where your time is going on a day-to-day basis, and you want to be intentional about the time and energy you invest in your work. Whenever you start time blocking, imagine that these blocks cannot be interrupted and you can dive in deep work.

How to get started with time blocking?

• Figure out what you need to prioritize: The first step in kicking off your time blocking journey is that you need to figure out what you want to accomplish in a week or a day.
• Keep a tab on your most productive period: Every individual on this earth is at their peak of productivity at random hours. Find your peak productivity period and schedule the complicated tasks for that time frame.
• Making a schedule of time blocks: Once you know exactly what your productive hours are, make a time block schedule according to that.
• Schedule of leisure time: Time blocking is not only about creating blocks for work, but it also includes creating time to enjoy your personal space. For example, you can schedule lunchtime, small breaks, and more in order to avoid burnout situations and be highly efficient at work.

Prioritization Methods

Prioritization techniques help you in prioritizing a list of tasks based on how important they are. There are multiple prioritization techniques to choose from as of now. Here we have mentioned three of them that are easy to adapt.

• Eisenhower Matrix: The Eisenhower Matrix helps individuals become highly productive and keep their focus locked on necessary tasks. The priorities can be divided into four different quadrants in this technique. These four quadrants are urgent and important, urgent and not important, and not urgent but important. The last quadrant is not urgent and not important. The technique, if followed properly, can help increase productivity, reduce stress, and strike a better work-life balance.
• MoSCoW prioritization method: It is one of the simplest prioritization techniques that you can rely on to accomplish your goals with utmost discipline. In this method, you can break your tasks into four categories:
  • M: Must Do - M rates tasks are the ones that you cannot avoid under any circumstances.
  • S: Should Do - The S rated tasks are the ones you should do but they are not as important as M rated tasks.
  • C: Could Do - The C rated tasks can be done by you but not on priority. Not working on these tasks for a while is not going to cause any problems.
  • W: Won't Do - W rated tasks are the ones that stand nowhere when it comes to prioritization and you can simply pick them if you have spare time.
• Pareto principle: The Pareto principle works on the 80/20 rule. This means that 80% of the consequences are mostly caused by 20%. To understand it with an example, we can say that 80% of the impact of your work comes from the 20% of tasks performed by you. You can do wonders in your work if you prioritize a small percentage of important tasks. This one can be mixed with the MoSCoW technique to get the best results.

Enhanced Coding Efficiency

Mastering Keyboard shortcuts

As a developer, you are going to spend a lot of time banging the keys on your keyboard. And coding for long hours without knowing the necessary shortcuts is going to be more than tiring. There are a lot of benefits related to keyboard shortcuts. First things first, you can accomplish tasks quickly. The shortcuts can also allow you to perform multiple tasks in a single go. Moreover, keyboard shortcuts can also help you lock your screen or switch between applications and Windows. Moving further, we have mentioned 10 keyboard shortcuts that you really can't sleep on as a developer.

Cut/Copy/Paste: ctrl+x/ctrl+c/ctrl+v

Open file in a project: ctrl+p

Indent/Unindent lines: tab/shift+tab

Create a new line below current line: ctrl+enter

Highlight characters of code: shift + left arrow/shift + right arrow

Create a new file: ctrl + n

Find a file: ctrl + f

Toggle comments: ctrl + /

Move cursor whole words at a time: ctrl + left arrow/ctrl + right arrow

Undo/Redo: ctrl + z/ctrl + y (ctrl + shift + z)

Code snippets and templates

Code snippets can be dubbed a convenient way of tackling software development challenges. With this method, the developers can use open-source codes in their projects. However, there are limitations attached to using code snippets as well - quality risks, security issues, etc. Apart from that, there are a few benefits of using code snippets as well:

They save developers' time and effort.

They solve specific problems with ease.

They can be helpful while learning a new programming language or technique.

They provide the leverage of experimenting with different ideas to developers.

Note: There are multiple tools available online that also allow you to create your own live template. Some of the most prominent ones are hubspot, Visual Studio, etc.

Version control

Version control, also known as source or revision control, is a practice used for tracking and managing the changes made to a particular code or the field related to it. With version control in action, a user can track all the changes made to a code from the beginning. It also allows the developers to roll back to a previous version of the software.

Why is version control important?

There are multiple benefits of version control. We have mentioned some of them below:

• Acceleration: Version control systems make the development process smooth. highly-optimized merging and branching capabilities let the developers work on multiple projects without any hassle, Furthermore, the leverage to roll back to previous version reduces downtime while identifying the issues in a program.
• Quality: Version control also gives a boost to constant pier review and collaboration which ultimately improves the quality of code. With detailed tracking of all the changes in a code, development teams can easily review and improve their work and make sure that the best practices are being followed while creating codes.
• Visibility: Version Control System's central repository works as the source of information. This increases transparency and accountability, resulting in better tracking, planning, and collaboration. Connecting the same with project management software will definitely skyrocket productivity.

Continuous Learning and development

Importance of continuous learning and development

Continuous learning and developments is something that one cannot ignore in any profession. As a developer, you should understand that things change at a very fast pace. And not keeping up with the trends is going to cost you a lot. Following the best blogs, webinars, and podcasts related to development will help you in expanding your horizons along with keeping you connected with every change that is happening in the industry.

Skill development

There are multiple skills that will upscale your development journey and provide you with a better command of your role as a developer. Some of them are learning multiple programming languages, computer proficiency, problem-solving, adaptability, debugging, etc. To polish most of the skills, you can go for a decent certification program with which you will not only learn a skill but also get a certificate to showcase in your interviews. To get these certifications, you can trust platforms like Coursera, Udemy, Upgrad and more.

Peer learning and networking

For building peer learning and networking, the first step is to develop relationships with professionals who are already established in the field. These programmers can help you build your career or even boost it if you are stuck somewhere. As for networking, it means connecting or building a group where the people share resources, opportunities, and information for the growth of each other. These connections can also help you in gaining knowledge and getting employment. Moreover, there are chances that you can land good guidance and mentorship, which will help you in making your career grow.

Maintaining Work Life Balance

Setting boundaries: To maintain a proper work-life balance, setting boundaries is really necessary. The boundaries can help you become productive and satisfied with the work and keep your work life and private life sorted. It has been revealed in multiple researches that setting a boundary raises productivity so that you can only focus on one thing at a time. Furthermore, it can also help you reduce stress so that you can manage workplace issues only at the workplace. In addition, setting boundaries will definitely reduce the risk of burnout because you will not take any task from home, which is one of the major reasons behind burnout.

Regular breakdowns and Downtime

As a developer, you need to accomplish a lot of tasks on a regular basis. But that doesn't mean you should not take breaks. Taking breaks is important to remove the feeling of burnout or getting exhausted easily. The best example of this is the Pomodoro technique, where you are supposed to take short and long breaks in synchronization with the work. During these breaks, you can either do a little stretching, exercise, read your favourite book, and a lot more. Apart from that, keeping a tab on your health is not going to do any harm.

Wrapping up

You can follow the above-mentioned hacks in order to enhance your productivity as a developer. The techniques mentioned here like the pomodoro method, mastering keyboard shortcuts, setting up a work space, could be game changer for your professional journey. However, the most important point here is that you shouldn't sleep on your health while being focused on increasing your productivity.

This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Chandan Kumar