I'm one of those teenage developers who codes as a hobby in their free time. When I get going properly on a project, hours can pass without me noticing at all.
I usually begin to burn out when the pace slows down and I get stuck (e.g. when I encounter something I just can't get working no matter how hard I try), but one thing you haven't mentioned in your post is that success can cause burnouts too. Often when I finish a project I just sit back - and sure, I'm glad it works, but I'm also at a loss. I have other stuff sitting there I could work on, but I've just poured all my energy into this project and I no longer have any motivation to continue programming. Usually, I spend a week or two doing other things (like reading through a pile of novels instead), and it's only then that I feel fresh and ready enough to begin on the next thing.
Maybe it's different once you get a proper job and you aren't the one choosing what you work on, or maybe I just manage things badly, but I do wonder if anyone else experiences this.
This is one of those things that proves "Hemingway's Effect" is better at being productive. The key is stopping when you get stuck. Don't bang your head against it trying to pull it off. Here's some reasoning:
When you're stuck, it's easier for your mind to remember where you got stuck when you return to it after a break to think about it in a different context.
There's more drive for you to go back to get it done than stopping after a successful deed.
I've read that Hemingway spent only a few hours every morning writing. The rest of day he went about strolling and spending time with his family. Yet he's one of the most productive writers and unarguably one of the most successful.
Oh, I can definitely see how that's good. For programming, though, I disagree slightly. You shouldn't stop immediately. Programming is a form of problem-solving, after all. Nothing would ever get solved if people stopped straight away whenever they came up against a wall.
Sure, you shouldn't just bang your head against that wall and get nowhere, but before you go, check if there's a door you could find a way through. Usually, if I'm stuck I spent a bit of time trying out different fixes and googling to see if others have encountered the same issue. If I'm clearly getting nowhere or just wasting time, I go do something else for a couple of hours, then try again. It's only then, if I'm still not making any headway, that I leave programming alone for the rest of the day.
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I'm one of those teenage developers who codes as a hobby in their free time. When I get going properly on a project, hours can pass without me noticing at all.
I usually begin to burn out when the pace slows down and I get stuck (e.g. when I encounter something I just can't get working no matter how hard I try), but one thing you haven't mentioned in your post is that success can cause burnouts too. Often when I finish a project I just sit back - and sure, I'm glad it works, but I'm also at a loss. I have other stuff sitting there I could work on, but I've just poured all my energy into this project and I no longer have any motivation to continue programming. Usually, I spend a week or two doing other things (like reading through a pile of novels instead), and it's only then that I feel fresh and ready enough to begin on the next thing.
Maybe it's different once you get a proper job and you aren't the one choosing what you work on, or maybe I just manage things badly, but I do wonder if anyone else experiences this.
Thanks for your insight.
This is one of those things that proves "Hemingway's Effect" is better at being productive. The key is stopping when you get stuck. Don't bang your head against it trying to pull it off. Here's some reasoning:
When you're stuck, it's easier for your mind to remember where you got stuck when you return to it after a break to think about it in a different context.
There's more drive for you to go back to get it done than stopping after a successful deed.
I've read that Hemingway spent only a few hours every morning writing. The rest of day he went about strolling and spending time with his family. Yet he's one of the most productive writers and unarguably one of the most successful.
Oh, I can definitely see how that's good. For programming, though, I disagree slightly. You shouldn't stop immediately. Programming is a form of problem-solving, after all. Nothing would ever get solved if people stopped straight away whenever they came up against a wall.
Sure, you shouldn't just bang your head against that wall and get nowhere, but before you go, check if there's a door you could find a way through. Usually, if I'm stuck I spent a bit of time trying out different fixes and googling to see if others have encountered the same issue. If I'm clearly getting nowhere or just wasting time, I go do something else for a couple of hours, then try again. It's only then, if I'm still not making any headway, that I leave programming alone for the rest of the day.