DEV Community

Abubakersiddique771
Abubakersiddique771

Posted on

I Stopped Doing These 5 “Smart” Things — And Became a Better Developer

#programming #productivity #mobile #opensource

⚡ Quick Note: I just launched a Flash Bundle of 4 offline AI tools for creators and devs — blog outline builder, SEO article machine, FAQ generator, and docs creator.

  • 🎁 Instant download. No subscriptions. One-time deal — 349$ $29 only until midnight. 👉 Grab it here
  • Or Download some really cool FREE guides out here: cocojunk.site 🔥🔥

We glorify “smart” developer habits all the time: learn every day, optimize early, chase side projects, build a second brain, write everything in TypeScript, etc.

I tried to follow them all.

And I burned out, shipped less, and honestly… didn’t even get smarter.

So I flipped the script.

I stopped doing 5 things that everyone says you should do, and my productivity (and peace) skyrocketed.

This post isn’t about being lazy. It’s about being intentional.

🧠 1. I Stopped Learning New Tech Just Because It Was Trending

I used to think staying “employable” meant constantly learning the newest JS framework or reading ML papers on weekends.

Now? I learn when:

  • A project demands it
  • A skill is blocking me
  • Or it aligns with what I actually care about

The FOMO is gone. My stack isn’t “bleeding-edge,” but it’s stable and mine.

Result: I finished more projects instead of jumping from one learning rabbit hole to another.

🚫 2. I Stopped Optimizing Early

Yes, yes… “premature optimization is the root of all evil.” But I still fell for it.

I’d write caching logic before the app had users. I’d split components before needing reuse. I’d obsess over milliseconds before the first deploy.

Now I treat v1 like a rough sketch. Get it live. Get feedback. Then optimize like hell.

Result: Projects ship faster, and my changes are actually based on reality, not hypotheticals.

🧹 3. I Stopped Perfecting My Setup

For years, I tweaked dotfiles, tried new themes, tested dozens of terminal tools.

I convinced myself I was “improving workflow,” but I was just procrastinating in disguise.

So I froze my stack:

  • One terminal
  • One theme
  • One editor
  • One task manager …and I haven’t changed it in 8 months.

Result: I went from meta-working to actually working.

📵 4. I Stopped Being “Always Available”

Slack, Discord, GitHub pings. I used to respond in seconds—felt like a “good teammate.”

But being always-on destroyed my focus and fragmented my thoughts.

Now I block deep work windows where I:

  • Turn off notifications
  • Let DMs pile up
  • Trust async communication

Result: My code is better, and oddly enough, my communication improved too—because it’s now intentional.

🧱 5. I Stopped Multitasking (Even “Smart” Multitasking)

I thought I was clever:

  • Podcasts during debugging
  • Tutorials while cooking
  • Zoom + Slack + tabs open = “productivity mode”

Turns out, I was just distracted in HD.

Now I single-task. Brutally.

  • No second screens.
  • No background noise.
  • One window, one problem, one solution.

Result: I finish things faster and retain more. Who knew?

🎯 The Takeaway: Subtraction > Addition

Most devs chase productivity by adding:

  • More tools
  • More workflows
  • More knowledge
  • More hours

But real productivity often comes from removing:

  • Noise
  • Expectations
  • Distractions
  • Overengineering

🧪 Want a “Subtractive Productivity Toolkit”?

I’ve been creating lightweight, offline-first tools that help developers and creators strip away the noise—starting with one that scrapes real Google keywords with zero login or bloat.

If your productivity depends on focused research, not fluff:

👉 KeywordJet – The Zero-BS Keyword Scraper

💬 Your Turn

What’s a “smart” habit you stopped doing that actually helped?

Let’s crowdsource the real 1x → 10x transformations.

🔥 Before You Go...

I build tiny tools to save hours on writing, content, and SEO stuff. Just launched a Flash Bundle with 4 desktop AI tools I use daily:

  • ✅ AI Blog Outline Builder
  • ✅ FAQ Generator for product pages
  • ✅ Bulk SEO Article Writer
  • ✅ Docs Generator for your help centers

Runs offline. Instant download. No monthly fee.

$29 bundle deal ends tonight 👇

⚡ Ultimate AI Productivity Bundle (Tonight Only)

🔥 Flash Sale – Ends Tonight at Midnight!Get 4 AI-Powered Tools to Automate Your Content, FAQs, SEO Articles, and Docs.🛠️ What You Get: ✅ OutlineForge – AI Blog Outline Generator ✅ FAQSmith – AI FAQ Generator ✅ ContentMint – Bulk Article Generator ✅ AotoDocs – Auto Knowledge Base Generator 💸 Value: $396+💥 Yours today from just $29!🎁 3 License Options: Essential Access ($29) Developer Pro ($79) – includes full source codes + SEO guides $0 Marketing: How to Get Traffic Without Ads 10x Your Content Output Without Burnout The Lazy Guide to Building an Email List from Scratch Solopreneur Pricing Psychology Cheatsheet Turn 1 Sale into 10: A No-Fluff Referral Strategy Digital Product Starter Kit: From Idea to First Sale Agency License ($199) – everything + white-label rights + resale rights 🎯 Instant Download · No Signup Needed · One-Time Payment

favicon cocojunkofficial.gumroad.com

Top comments (0)