Becoming an excellent programmer, like any other professional, requires doing as much high-quality work as possible. A popular saying sums it up well: Do it. Do it right. Do it right now.
1. Create a To-Do List for the Day’s Tasks
The best way to complete complex activities is to break them down into smaller tasks. Every morning, break down the activities you need to complete throughout the day and create a corresponding schedule. This will help you:
- Better understand the activity.
- Focus on one centralized goal each day.
- Improve your ability to estimate the time needed. After a few days, you’ll be able to predict how much work you can get done in a day.
2. Do One Thing at a Time
Focusing on one task at a time is more productive than multitasking. Research has proven this point, and it’s been published in various media (like CNN).
Focus on a task for 25 minutes, then take a 5-10 minute break. You can use techniques like the Pomodoro Technique to help you manage your time. There are also tools that can help you track how much time you spend on different tasks. My favorite is CoolTimer, and here are 10 other great time tracking apps.
3. Do Things Right
There are two key things to check when assessing whether something has been done correctly:
- You should be proud of the solution, because it’s not just a regular solution; it’s a good solution. Follow the "Software Quality Pyramid" principle.
- The solution should be reviewed at least once. Ask a respected, skilled colleague to review your approach and accept their sincere feedback.
4. Don’t Give Up Halfway
It’s well-known that if you still have a glass to wash, you can’t say the washing is done. We apply this logic to tasks like painting walls or driving somewhere, but we don’t apply it to software development. Even if we haven’t completed all the unit tests or verified that the implementation meets user needs, we still say the task is finished. This is typical of Hope Driven Development and is extremely harmful.
A task is only considered finished when you’re 100% certain that no further improvement is needed and the requirements have not changed.
5. Fix Problems Instead of Apologizing, and Never Give Up
If you need to spend extra time testing code or refactoring unreadable classes, do it—it’s an investment for the future. But if you’re stuck on something or the project is dragging on too long, look for a simpler solution. It might not be as elegant as your current approach, but at least you have a solution. Make sure to document it to mitigate future risks and highlight areas that may need re-evaluation.
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