BEING PRODUCTIVE AS A DEVELOPER
Published: 2020-01-09 23:02:11


What's up devs, thank God it's Friday.

Today we will be talking about productivity tips that can help you level up as a developer.

Productivity bring tons of pluses which includes Higher salary, Increase in popularity among peers and internal satisfaction as it might be.

In today's tech world there are huge demand for productive developers, which is why you need to become one. However productivity comes if you put it to work also it is highly debateable.

A developer productivity is measured by LOC (Line of code) and quality of code written.
Today I will talk about 10 productivity tips you need to take into account to improve as a developer.

##**So why productivity matters?**

When we say productivity it means the amount of output you churn out compared to input. Being a productive engineer brings tons of benefits to you. And also the fast your code works the better it is for the company who is fighting competition every minute. The mantra is to work fast, keep the quality of your code intact.

Startups love to have productive developers on their team who not only solve problems, but solve them faster than others.

No one is denying the fact that a good developer is more productive than the Medicore ones. And you would love to become a better developer, you will need to take productivity into consideration.
 
Enough of the talk guys, let's jump into 10 tips to make you a better developer.

##**1. Manage your time.**

When it comes to being a productive developer you need to work with time, you should not do random things at random times. You will want to do the right things at the right time.

You also want to avoid a case where you don't Know what to do and you're either slacking or searching something. There you will have to plan, execute your working time, each day as early as possible, take into consideration all time consuming activities like social media and other social activities out there.

##**2. Get proper sleep.**

Working fewer hours can help you remain productive, which means if you think you are less productive you can take a nap or go for a walk, I bet you will feel better in no time, in the main time you also need  to get a proper sleep, for example you can get 8hours sleep every night and you feel more healthier when you get back on your feet.

Without proper sleep you can easily hamper your productivity to great extent.

##**3. Don't optimize prematurely.**

When it comes to premature optimization it's a serious issue among the coding community for real-time projects, optimization is necessary. However, that doesn't mean you should start optimizing your app in it's half-baked state. 

It's a good idea to optimize after a food chunk of functionality has been implemented.
The late start will help you to avoid unnecessary work and keep you productive.

##**4. Read books.**

Reading books as a developer can contribute alot in your career, i know that internet has everything, I don't argue that but with books it can change your perspective of learning.

Books offer a unique view on managing product or understanding a programming language or some sort of technology. Books is written by talented people which is why you need to read and learn from them and also to avoid pitfalls.

The structure of approach also help you to digest information in a more meaningful way.
In the end you will benefit by becoming better, more productive, smart developer.

##**5. Minimize distraction.**

As a developer that work on complex problems, you will have to reduce distraction to it's last atom, this can help you focus more on whatever project you are working on which as well can help you be more productive than ever.

As coding platforms, tools, frameworks require core understanding and attention, you need to keep your focus intact, if you are distracted, it will take you around 15-20 minutes to get going again.

##**6. Set goal and make it a habit.**

Being productive is not that easy, therefore you need steps to archive those. Set a goal then make it habit comes with effort and self dedication which is why you need to set one for yourself.

Making coding your habit or building stuffs on your free time can help you improve dramatically as a developer, you can set aside a minimum of 1hrs everyday to work on side projects, which is why **100daysofcode** is made for you, go try it out and see the results in a snap.

##**7. Keep your code DRY(don't repeat yourself) and simple.**

Implementing the DRY principles can really bring tons of benefits and also help you get things done without repeating yourself.

This make your code easy to read and understandable, this can save alot of time when other developers are working on your code. It also reduce time spent on project you work on.

##**8. Master your tools**

When it comes to mastering your tools as a developer, it should be obvious for all developer that knowing your tools is a prerequisited for effective work, you want to move your ideas into code as fast as possible and avoid the overhead of doing everything using mouse pointer. 

Therefore to master your core tools, learn the key binding for the most important operation in your tools.

##**9. Involve other people.**

You might be the smartest but yet you lack some basic things. There a problematic or decision that should be made by the whole team.

Therefore you will have to involve other people or ask for help if stuck on a certain level, this can help you level up as a productive engineer.

##**10. Google your way out.**

Google is a developer friend, if you get stuck or need your way out you can just google it. The truth is Senior developers use Google when they are stuck.

You can't know everything which why you have to find some basic things online to help you through. There are many dev community out there just ask a question then you will be given and answer in munites.

With Google you can be more productive and get things done easily.

##**Conclusion**

So far so good we are finally done with what you need to become a better developer through productivity.

Productivity gain come with time, initially, don't try to push too hard, take one at a time then make it a goal then eventually make it a habit.

If you like this article try and comment, share for others to benefit from. More article coming soonest.