Developers are important to many companies in helping to develop applications and other tools. They are sometimes expensive employees to hire because of their skills & abilities. With the cost of the developer’s time being higher than other employees, it is important to find ways to maximize productivity and efficiency 💪 Depending on the project that needs to be done, there are different methods that will increase the efficiency of the developer. From minimizing any distractions to knowing the specs of a project firsthand, developers can get more work done in a shorter amount of time. Let’s take a closer look at some of the simple things you can do as a developer to increase your efficiency and productivity while getting the work done.
1. Minimize the Distractions
Programming requires you to spend long periods of time concentrating on something intensely. It is not like writing an email or checking on a few things where you can give it half of your attention. Programming requires lots of attention! If you hear a ding from the email or your phone, it can grab your attention away from the work and makes it hard to focus. When you have a big project to complete, minimize the distractions to help keep you on task 📝
Think about what things distract you during the day. What seems to make it hard to concentrate. Maybe close off your email and social media so you do not notice the notifications. Put the phone across the room. Close the door of your office. with fewer distractions to get in the way, it is easier to focus just on what you need to get things done in the application. You can get the work done faster this way and see an improvement in your productivity too.
2. Work Time vs. Breaks ⏳
It is important to take breaks while creating your code and applications. Working eight hours straight during the day may seem like a great idea. But this will make you tired and makes mistakes more likely. Breaks are just as important as work time when it comes to good and accurate work. You just need to know the right times to take these breaks. You must schedule regular times to take a break and get away from the computer. Even a few minutes every hour or so will help. The Pomodoro method can work here. It allows twenty minutes of work and then five minutes of break before getting back to work. Do that for an hour or so and then take a longer break. This will help minimize mistakes and can make you more efficient than before. Choose the timeframes that work for you, but during your breaks, get completely away from the computer and the work to get a breather.
3. Get Clear Project Specs
Every project will come with specifications on the work that must be done. When the specifications are vague, the work will be done badly and time is wasted. The development team will either try to figure it out themselves or waste a lot of time asking questions and waiting for answers.
A better option is to get clear project specs right from the beginning. You can set up a template that asks specific questions and require the client to fill it out completely. Read the specs before starting and see if there are any problems you can see. Be thorough during this stage. There may still be some questions that come up along the way, but the more you know at the beginning, the more efficient you will be.
4. Using CI/CD
As a developer, CI/CD may be the tool you need to increase efficiency and productivity. When used well, the developer can rely on the CI/CD pipeline to help deliver apps to their customers by utilizing automation in the process. Throughout the lifecycle of the app, CI/CD will help to introduce ongoing automation as well as continuous monitoring. This frees up time for the developer while coding can catch any potential problems before they turn into a big mess.
CI is all about continuous integration, or the automation process that developers use. When CI is successful, it means that the changes to new code in an app will be built, tested, and merged regularly. It is the best solution to make sure all the different components come together without conflicts.
CD is continuous delivery, or the automation of the process further down the pipeline. When this is used, any changes a developer makes to the application will be bug tested and uploaded to the repository or into a live production environment right away.
The point of both of these is to automate the process. Developers can focus on important parts of their work without all the little things getting in the way. CI/CD will automate it, debug and test, and take care of the little things.
5. Do Code Reviews 🔍
Developers often spend their time trying to get more code done. But a code review is an important part of this process too. Add time to your schedule to do code reviews and make sure everything is done correctly. One of the best code reviews that you can do is to have someone else come in and look at it. Give them the loose outlines of the project, but not too many details, and ask them to take a look.
When the developer needs to explain the details, they can learn the code better. Plus, an outside pair of eyes can help catch more problems that you may miss. They may take a little time to complete, but they will save a lot of hassle and issues later on.
Increasing Your Productivity As a Developer to Get More Done
Developers have a busy work schedule and tight deadlines to meet on a regular basis. Being prepared and knowing what to expect while minimizing distractions and increasing automation can help give you a head start and will help you become more efficient and productive. Use the tips above and see how much easier it is to get your work done.
✅ Do you have more tips for running an efficient & productive schedule?
Share in the comments! ✍