Performing effectively as a developer can be challenging because of the high level of concentration necessary for many tasks. It is important to avoid distractions that can bog down your progress while causing you to feel a strong sense of frustration. There is also a broad range of tricks that developers can use to push out more code in less time. Learning some of the tips that expert developers recommend can help you to stay focused while improving your productivity.
1. Build on the Work of Other Developers
When you work as a developer, it is important to avoid reinventing the wheel for every project. Although you may think that your application is unique, the reality is that hundreds of other developers have likely worked to create similar functionality. You can, therefore, usually consult a web development help forum to get some answers when problems come up and to find open-source code that you can use for your project. Of course, you should try to create a unique version of the code that you find, and you should always cite the original author on a commented line.
2. Set Time Limits
Web development can sometimes require intense concentration to complete a task, and focusing in this way can cause you to lose track of time. The most experienced developers focus on trying to solve a problem for a limited duration of time, but they also know when to take a step back to reconsider other approaches. The best way to ensure that you avoid getting stuck is to set a timer for no more than a couple of hours after you have started to implement a section of your development plan. Setting time limits will help you to avoid wasting the majority of your working hours getting stuck on impossible stumbling blocks.
3. Minimize Distractions
Many web developers work in an environment where they have relatively high freedom to do what they want. Unfortunately, the availability of YouTube, Facebook, and Netflix at your fingertips can lead to many lost hours of work. Web development takes high concentration, so you cannot expect to get good results unless you are completely focused on your work. The best way to minimize distractions is often to force yourself to work around people who are highly motivated so that you feel positive peer pressure that will drive you to stay on task.
4. Automate as Much as You Can
automate web development. Many of the best developers write code that generates new code to save time. You can also rely on code from previous projects to avoid having to rewrite code that you have already written. In some cases, it can even help to use scripts that control your keyboard and mouse so that you can run tasks overnight without having to wait around.
5. Learn to Prioritize Your Workload
Prioritization is the key to improving your effectiveness as a developer. Before starting a project, you should lay out all of the main requirements that will need to be met. Once you have your list of requirements, you can prioritize individual components in order of importance. If you start by knocking out the most important tasks, you will have good progress that you can show your client. Additionally, creating the core functionality first can make it easier to build smaller components at a later time. Learning to prioritize effectively will enable you to become worthy of the best positions as a highly effective developer.