Become a Better Developer By Becoming a Better You

Efficiency

As a developer I strive for efficiency. This is in every part of my workflow. From the key bindings in my code editor to the automation of deployment processes. If I look close and long enough, there will be an efficiency gain to be made.

Of course I know I generally don’t want to spend weeks on something that will save me a few seconds a week. So there is a balance to be struck. Although, this balance isn’t always just based on time. I’ll take into account context switching time and mental overhead that is associated with the task to be optimised. What can I learn from the task and, of course will it be fun? These are all things I will consider.

A marginal Gain Will Change The World

Keep moving, and small things will lead to big things. Is this not the case for most things? I can’t tell where a small idea will lead to. But if I consider that following a small idea will lead to some change, bigger or smaller. This I can be certain of. So it follows that it will eventually morph into something bigger. Sure there is the factor of not knowing how long this will take, but why discount a small idea right off the bat?

That small idea that is a marginal gain, just might change the world.

Wastefulness

If my efforts offer no value, I consider it wasteful. Upon thought of my efficiencies, new ideas may reveal that certain things may be simplified so much that they reveal that they are no longer necessary. Alternatively, a new approach may show a previous action as redundant and wasteful. Now, if I am constantly looking for efficiencies, change is certain, which means today’s efficiency is tomorrow’s wastefulness.

So I can follow that all efficiencies will be wasteful in the end. Sounds very negative. But it is not. It’s part of a cycle. The emergence of wastefulness is a move to a new efficiency.

So what does this mean?

With thought, change will lead inevitably to efficiency. If I stay the course. Without change, I will never improve. I will always remain as wasteful and as efficient as I currently am.

Your Work is Not Separate

My work is not a separate thing in my life. It is a task I do as part of my life. As such it gains the benefits and hindrances of what i use for these tasks. My mind and body. So should I not focus attention on efficiencies and wastefulness on those?

On Mind And Body

On mind, there are many avenues I consider here. Such as Clarity of mind, patience, practicing being non judgemental, accepting criticism, my environment, considering different perspectives, health of relationships, distractions, to name a few.

I will focus on clarity of mind, as improving this will improve all other aspects. First, I will acknowledge that clarity of mind is a state that is somewhat fleeting. So I want to practice finding clarity when it is lost, and keeping clarity when I have it. The strategies I use for each are meditation, and decluttering.

First, meditation is practice. Practice in bringing back my attention to a specific point. This requires quieting and letting go anything but that point. This brings clarity. Only with practice this gets better and easier.

Second to not lose clarity, is decluttering. This means to remove things that take my attention when it is time to focus. Such as a nearby phone, a messy desk, an unresolved task, or not having a set focus or goal to begin with. What can be simplified, and what can be removed from my environment?

It is no secret that the state of my mind is a function of the state of my body. So what can I do to improve this.

Eat better. Move more.

Trying to be generally more healthy I think is the solution.

Be a Better Person. Be a Better Developer.

Being healthier leads to a more efficient mind, as does having healthy relationships and healthy and happy environments. Eating well, exercising, learning to communicate better. All of this is how we can become better developers. By becoming better people. This not only helps you, it helps everyone.