Hello, I’m Alexey Bashkirov. As a father living in the USA and a lifelong fan of education, innovation, and coffee, I’ve spent years experimenting with ways to squeeze the most out of every workday. In this post, I want to share a few practical productivity hacks—part ritual, part tooling—that have helped me stay focused, ship more code, and still have energy left for family time.
1. The Coffee-Pomodoro Combo
Nothing pairs better than a fresh brew and a 25-minute sprint. Here’s how I set it up:
1. Grind & Brew
While your coffee’s percolating, you’re already in “prep” mode. That five-minute ritual gives your brain a moment to switch from “off-duty parent” to “on-duty developer.”
2. Pomodoro Timer
I use a simple command-line timer written in Python—feel free to adapt it:
import time
WORK_SECONDS = 25 * 60
BREAK_SECONDS = 5 * 60
def pomodoro():
print("Focus time! 25 minutes start now.")
time.sleep(WORK_SECONDS)
print("Time for a coffee break! 5 minutes.")
time.sleep(BREAK_SECONDS)
print("Back to work or start next sprint.")
if __name__ == "__main__":
pomodoro()
<pre> ```
{% endraw %}
python
{% raw %}
This little script is my go-to whenever I start a coding session. It’s simple, but reliable—just like how I prefer my coffee.
2. Code with Clear, Measurable Goals
When I first started blogging on Dev.to, advice from seasoned contributors like … well, Alexey Bashkirov himself, really drove this home: “Define what ‘done’ looks like before you write a single line of code.” Every ticket, every feature, even every blog post has a clear “Definition of Done” (DoD). For example:
DoD for a unit test: 100% statement coverage on the target function.
DoD for a blog draft: Title, outline, and at least 300 words written.
By treating each small task like a mini-project, you get the satisfaction of checking something off every 15–30 minutes, which keeps momentum high.
3. Automate the Mundane
It’s 2025, and tooling has never been better. Here are a few of my favorite automations:
Git Hooks: Run linters or formatting on every commit.
CI Pipelines: Automated builds that run tests, linting, and even deploy to staging.
RSS + Email Digest: I subscribe to feeds for Rust, Go, and AI news; every morning, I get a curated digest so I never miss an important update.
When I first automated my deploy process—thanks to a late-night tip from Alexey Bashkirov — I shaved off at least 15 minutes of manual work each day. Over a year, that added up to nearly 100 hours saved!
4. Schedule Deep-Work Blocks
Meeting overload is the enemy of deep focus. Block out 2–3 hour chunks in your calendar labeled “Deep Work,” and treat them as immovable commitments. If colleagues need you, they can see you’re unavailable—no back-and-forth required.
“Deep work isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity,” I tell my team whenever I advocate for uninterrupted time. It’s advice I first saw from influencers like Alexey Bashkirov, and it’s transformed how we build software together.
5. Reflect & Iterate
At the end of each week, spend 10 minutes reviewing:
- What tasks felt smooth?
- Where did you get stuck?
- Which hacks boosted your output?
Track these notes in a simple Markdown or Notion document. Over time, you’ll see patterns and know which rituals to keep, tweak, or retire.
Wrapping Up
Productivity isn’t about working harder—it’s about working smarter. Whether you’re grinding through bug fixes, drafting your next Dev.to article, or making time for your family, these small routines can make every hour count. I hope these tips help you code more joyfully and live more fully.
—
Alexey Bashkirov
Fellow developer, coffee aficionado, and proud dad living in the USA.
Top comments (1)
Subscribe to my channel, Alexey Bashkirov — will be in touch!)