Friends, hello everyone!
In this article, I want to share my experience and observations on time management—how to get everything done without burning out in the vast jungle of endless tasks, projects, and communication.
I should probably start by saying that when I was employed, I didn’t have any issues with time management. My work was organized by project managers and team leads. My job was simply to show up and complete tasks from the task manager. Ah, those were the days!
But I wanted more and started forging my own path. I transitioned from employment to working for myself, and now I have multiple projects and responsibilities:
- MoonShine, an open-source project where, in addition to being involved in development, I also mentor core developers, set up organizational processes, and engage with the community.
- A YouTube channel that needs to be developed and maintained.
- Consulting and temporary outsourced projects—what keeps me financially afloat.
- And, of course, articles where I share my experience with you (writing articles, as it turns out, is a very labor-intensive process).
Juggling all these things is incredibly challenging, and it took me a long time to adapt, studying different techniques and applying them in practice. I believe everyone has their own unique work organization system that suits only them. In this article, I’ll share the core principles of my current time management system.
I’ve divided the article into small sections, each highlighting a key rule. To make reading (and later applying these techniques) more engaging, I’ll narrate from the perspective of Mowgli (a modern, fearless developer) hunting (successfully completing tasks) in the jungle (work projects).
1. Don’t Try to Hunt in Different Parts of the Jungle at Once—Otherwise, You’ll Waste Time Moving Between Them
Most of these rules are simple truths that don’t always click right away. The first rule, in my opinion, is the most important—and the hardest habit to break.
Don’t multitask! When my responsibilities across different projects started piling up, I’d switch between tasks throughout the day. I’d be recording a YouTube video, then spot a GitHub issue for MoonShine and immediately jump to that, then hop on a call, then dive into a chat discussion. In the end, these constant switches come at a high cost. By the end of the day, I’d be completely drained, lying in bed thinking, "I worked so much, but barely finished anything." It felt like I was running in place! I’d mastered the marathon of task-switching, but nothing actually got done.
The problem was clear. My solution? Divide the week into dedicated focus areas.
- Monday: Ease into the week with lighter (but important) tasks—organizing tasks for other developers, communicating in chats, preparing YouTube content. Basically, administrative work that actually starts brewing on Saturday (more on that later).
- Tuesday: Dedicated to recording YouTube content. If I finish early and have energy left, I’ll tackle a task from another day. If something urgent comes up, I’ll check messages—but only if I have the bandwidth.
- Wednesday: Open-source day, all things MoonShine. Since MoonShine is a priority, I place it mid-week when I’m fully warmed up and ready for complex tasks. It’s a tough day but the most satisfying.
- Thursday: Wrap up unfinished tasks from earlier in the week. Mornings are for family—we have a relaxed breakfast together. Thursday is a chance to catch my breath and tie up loose ends.
- Friday: Creativity day—writing articles, planning next steps, and handling outsourced work.
- Weekends: You’d think I’d just binge shows or stare at the ceiling, but no. I review the week, spend an hour organizing and planning (tying back to Monday), and then fully relax with family.
This structure is a game-changer. Of course, unplanned sprints, urgent projects, or looming releases sometimes force adjustments (more work, less rest). But knowing what each day holds helps me adapt—I know when to push hard and when to ease up. It’s like a workout split: leg day, back day, chest day.
2. Chew Your Prey Slowly—Better for Digestion
One of my early mistakes was rushing through tasks (probably to "earn" more rest time). I’d hurry to finish something just to move to the next problem—after all, the queue was always full!
But this often backfired: quick solutions usually meant cutting corners, leading to revisiting "finished" tasks later. If you’re lucky, someone else handles the fallout. But if it boomerangs back to you? Hello, Problem #1—more context-switching, re-adapting, and wasted energy.
So remember: Measure twice, cut once. Check everything, take your time, and only then move to the next target in the time-management jungle. Spending a little extra time upfront to nail a task means never circling back to it.
Hasten slowly!
3. The Jungle Is Hot—Don’t Forget to Rest in the Shade
This might be Rule #3, but it’s the toughest. You must learn to listen to yourself and recognize when you’re depleted—whether you need a few days off or even a full week.
The tricky part? Your brain often lies. It whispers in the morning: "Stay in bed an extra hour. Push it to tomorrow—you’re exhausted!" This is an ancient survival trick: "Conserve energy—what if predators attack tomorrow?"
But once you realize your brain can deceive you, it’s like The Boy Who Cried Wolf. We are tired, yet we keep working. Eventually, the brain resorts to extreme measures—your immune system crashes, and you’re bedridden with the flu. Now you’re forced into downtime, which leads back to Rules #1 and #2: scrambling through the jungle, half-chewed prey everywhere!
The solution? Experience. Learn to distinguish laziness from genuine fatigue. Switch to sports, friends, or family time. It’s vital for health and productivity.
4. A Good Hunter Needs Good Sleep
I won’t preach bedtimes here. Instead, let’s talk about the "brain at night" problem—when you’re solving tasks in your head until dawn, and whether you’re actually sleeping is debatable. Often, you’re just trying to remember solutions.
The fix?
- Wind down 3 hours before bed.
- Keep a notebook or app (like Obsidian or Notion) nearby. Dump ideas there—don’t mentally chew on them. The goal is a clear mind by bedtime.
The proverb "Morning is wiser than evening" is real. Sleep brings clarity—what seemed unsolvable yesterday often clicks effortlessly in the morning.
5. Mowgli Rules the Jungle (Because He Uses Tools)
Humans dominate the jungle not by brute strength but by using tools. Let’s talk time-management tools:
Notebooks, Google/iPhone Notes, Outlook, Trello, Evernote, Asana, Obsidian, Notion… You’ve probably tried some. I used many at once:
- Quick notes in iPhone Notes (later migrated to Obsidian).
- Personal tasks in Trello/TickTick.
- Work tasks in JetBrains Space.
- Blog drafts in Obsidian.
- Calendar reminders.
Each tool has perks, but over time, this clutter became stressful—I’d waste time just finding where I noted something. Now, I’m streamlining my system around Notion and Obsidian.
Key takeaway: We’re bombarded with information. Relying on memory is futile. Use digital tools to:
- Capture thoughts and notes from books/courses (A dull pencil beats a sharp memory).
- Store ideas, links, and tasks—then process and organize them. No more lost ideas!
6. Deal with the Monkeys—They’ll Scare Off Your Prey
Distractions are everywhere. My arch-nemesis? Telegram. With endless chats and constant notifications, focus is impossible:
- Notification pops up.
- Read, ponder a reply, respond.
- Lose seconds/minutes.
- Reorient to the original task.
- Repeat.
The fix?
- Mute notifications temporarily. My phone has a 30-minute "focus mode" (only critical calls allowed).
- Disable notifications on my laptop.
This creates a distraction-proof barrier—a tweaked version of the Pomodoro technique.
Time to Hunt
Time management is crucial in today’s multitasking world. As my experience shows, it demands discipline and adaptability. Simple rules can boost efficiency and prevent burnout. I hope these tips help you manage tasks better and balance work with life. Remember: Your time is your most valuable resource—only you decide how to spend it.
Do you have your own techniques? Share them in the comments!
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