You stare at your terminal. The cursor blinks constantly. Your code works perfectly, but now you need a commit message. Five minutes pass. You delete what you wrote. Start again.
Sound familiar? You are not alone bro!.
Most developers spend 10-15 minutes per day just crafting commit messages. Thats over an hour per week on something that should take seconds.
I used to be that developer. I agonize over every word, trying to capture the perfect essence of my changes. Then I discovered a counterintuitive truth: the best commit messages aren't the most detailed ones.
The Problem with Perfect Commit Messages
Your current commit workflow probably looks like this:
- Write code for 2 hours
- Stage all changes at once
- Stare at
git commit -m "" - Try to summarize everything you did
- Write a novel-length message
- Delete it because it's too long
- Write something generic like "bug fixes"
- Feel guilty about the vague message
This approach wastes time and creates messy Git history. When you bundle multiple changes into one commit, you lose the ability to understand your code's evolution.
The 30-Second Solution
Here's the micro-habit that changed everything:
Commit every single logical change immediately. Use one action verb and one object. That's it.
Your new workflow:
- Write a function →
git add . && git commit -m "Add user validation" - Fix a bug →
git add . && git commit -m "Fix login timeout" - Update documentation →
git add . && git commit -m "Update API docs"
Each commit takes exactly 30 seconds. No thinking. No crafting. Just action.
Why This Works Better
1. Cleaner Git History
Instead of this mess:
feat: implement user authentication system with validation, error handling, tests, and documentation updates
fix: various bugs and improvements
update: stuff
You get this clarity:
Add user model
Add password validation
Add login endpoint
Add authentication middleware
Fix password hashing bug
Update user API documentation
Add user tests
2. Easier Debugging
When something breaks, you can pinpoint the exact change that caused it. Instead of sorting through a 200-line commit, you examine a focused 10-line change.
3. Better Code Reviews
Your teammates love reviewing 15 small commits instead of one massive one. They can approve obvious changes quickly and focus discussion on complex logic.
The Three Rules
Rule 1: One Change, One Commit
If you're tempted to use "and" in your commit message, you're doing too much. Split it into multiple commits.
- Bad: "Add user model and fix validation bug"
- Good: Two separate commits
Rule 2: Start with Action Verbs
- Add
- Fix
- Update
- Remove
- Refactor
These verbs make your Git log scannable. You can instantly see what type of change each commit represents.
Rule 3: Be Specific, Not Detailed
- Too vague: "Update component"
- Too detailed: "Update the UserProfile component to handle edge cases when users have null email addresses and improve error messaging"
- Just right: "Fix UserProfile null email handling"
Real-World Time Savings
Before this system:
- 47 commits per week
- Average 8 minutes per commit message
- 6.3 hours per week on commits
After this system:
- 180 commits per week
- Average 30 seconds per commit message
- 1.5 hours per week on commits
- 4.8 hours saved weekly
But the real savings come from faster debugging, easier code reviews, and cleaner project history. Those compound benefits add up to the full 10-hour weekly savings.
Common Concerns (And Why They're Wrong)
"Won't This Clutter My Git History?"
Your history becomes more organized, not cluttered. Clean commits are easier to navigate than verbose ones.
"What About Conventional Commits?"
You can still follow conventional commit standards:
feat: Add user registrationfix: Resolve login timeoutdocs: Update API guide
"My Team Requires Detailed Messages"
Show them your cleaner Git log. Most teams adopt this approach within weeks because it improves everyone's workflow.
Advanced Techniques
1. Use Git Aliases
Add these to your .gitconfig:
bash[alias]
ac = !git add . && git commit -m
quick = !git add . && git commit -m "WIP" && git push
Now you can commit with:
git ac "Add user validation"
2. The WIP Strategy
For experimental changes, use:
git quick
This commits everything as "Work In Progress" and pushes immediately. You can refine the message later with git commit --amend.
3. Batch Similar Changes
Sometimes you'll have multiple related micro-commits. Group them when pushing:
git ac "Add user model"
git ac "Add user validation"
git ac "Add user tests"
git push origin feature-branch
Tool Integration
1. VS Code
Enable auto-staging in VS Code settings. Your workflow becomes:
- Save file
- Ctrl+Shift+P → "Git: Commit"
- Type message
- Enter
2. GitHub Desktop
- Use the commit shortcut (Ctrl+Enter) to commit without switching contexts.
3. Terminal Users
Create a function in your .bashrc:
bashquickcommit() {
git add . && git commit -m "$1" && git push
}
Usage:
quickcommit "Fix login bug"
Team Adoption Strategy
Week 1: Lead by Example
Start using this system yourself. Don't announce it yet.
Week 2: Share Results
Show your teammates your cleaner Git history during code review.
Week 3: Gentle Introduction
Suggest the approach when someone struggles with a commit message.
Week 4: Team Discussion
Present the time savings data. Most teams adopt it immediately.
Integration with Project Management
This micro-habit works perfectly with project management tools. When using platforms like Teamcamp, your frequent commits create a detailed activity trail.
Teamcamp's project tracking becomes more accurate when your Git commits reflect granular progress.
Instead of one commit per day showing "worked on feature," Teamcamp sees:
- Morning: Added user model
- Mid-morning: Implemented validation
- Before lunch: Fixed edge cases
- Afternoon: Added tests
This granular tracking helps Teamcamp provide better project insights and more accurate time estimates for future tasks.
Track More accurate time estimates for future tasks with Time Tracking feature
Measuring Your Success
Track these metrics for one month:
Time Metrics:
- Average time per commit message
- Total weekly time spent on commits
- Time saved per week
Quality Metrics:
- Number of commits per feature
- Code review feedback quality
- Debugging efficiency
Team Metrics:
- Code review approval time
- Merge conflict frequency
- Team Git history satisfaction
Common Mistakes to Avoid
The Everything Commit
Don't stage all changes at once. Commit as you complete each logical unit.
Generic Messages
"Update code" tells nobody anything. Be specific about what you updated.
Fear of Too Many Commits
More commits are better than fewer commits. You can always squash later if needed.
Perfectionism Paralysis
Your commit message doesn't need to be perfect. It needs to be clear and immediate.
The Compound Effect
This 30-second habit creates cascading benefits:
- Cleaner code: Small commits encourage focused changes
- Better debugging: Easier to isolate problematic changes
- Improved reviews: Teammates can review incrementally
- Enhanced documentation: Git log becomes living project history
- Reduced stress: No more commit message anxiety
- Team efficiency: Everyone adopts similar practices
Beyond Git: The Productivity Mindset
This micro-habit represents a broader principle: immediate action beats perfect planning.
When you optimize for speed over perfection, you create more opportunities for iteration and improvement. This applies to:
- Code refactoring (small, frequent improvements)
- Documentation (update as you go)
- Testing (write tests immediately)
- Bug fixing (address issues when you spot them)
Tools like Teamcamp amplify this approach by capturing your incremental progress and helping you maintain momentum across projects.
Your 30-Second Challenge
For the next week, try this system:
- Day 1-2: Focus on the habit formation. Don't worry about perfect messages.
- Day 3-4: Refine your action verb vocabulary.
- Day 5-7: Track your time savings and Git history improvements.
Most developers see immediate benefits. Your code reviews become faster. Your debugging sessions become more focused. Your project history becomes a valuable resource instead of a confusing mess.
The Real ROI
You'll save 5-10 hours per week. But the real value isn't time savings—it's the mental clarity that comes from removing friction from your daily workflow.
When committing code becomes effortless, you spend more mental energy on the code itself. You write better functions, design cleaner APIs, and solve more interesting problems.
Start today. Your next commit message should take exactly 30 seconds to write. No more, no less.
Ready to transform not just your Git workflow, but your entire development process?
Teamcamp helps teams like yours streamline project management, track granular progress, and maintain the momentum this micro-habit creates. Discover how Teamcamp can amplify your productivity gains and keep your development projects on track.
Top comments (2)
Simple tip:
Thank you for sharing