The Art of Stress-free Productivity

A common problem for developers is burnout. In my opinion, one of the most effective (and, perhaps, the main) ways to avoid this is to organize the work process properly and manage your time effectively.

I recently read the bestseller Getting Things Done - The Art of Stress-free Productivity by David Allen. Of course, it is difficult to follow all the recommendations immediately. You need to re-read the book at least one more time. But how did the book help me as the developer?

• Correspondence. Oh, an email box with 1000+ unread emails is depressing. It can be difficult to form a habit of not collecting a burden of unresolved tasks and emails. After reading the book, I have created folders for projects, reference information, etc., and started to process a mailbox regularly (at least once a day). To delete unnecessary emails and to move others to the appropriate folders now takes only a few minutes. It has become much easier to navigate in emails and faster to find answers to my questions. Yes, mail discipline is minus one small reason for burnout :)
• The main idea of the book is that a person must free his mind from memorizing current tasks for example with the help of to-do lists as a tool. As a developer, I find it difficult to maintain task lists. Everything changes so fast in my work. If your company already has such organizational tools as Jira, ClubHouse, Trello, all you need to do is to learn how to use them. That will be a great step for the start! In other spheres of life lists also can help. After all, keeping in mind all personal and work information during the day is really distracting. If you will free yourself with the lists, you can work faster and more efficiently. Since it is difficult to organize the work, organize the rest.
• Ideas. These crazy and inspirational ideas are spinning in your head! Either they don't let you work, or you forget them. Writing down ideas is a new habit of mine. When the idea is fixed, I can more easily come back to interrupted thought processes. And this is useful from a different point of view too. When you are given the task to come up with something new and interesting, oh, how difficult it is. The muse is leaving us. Often ideas born forcibly are heavy, angular, clubfoot. And how great it is when in your lists of ideas you suddenly find something brilliant, already formed, and amazing!

I highly recommend the book. Everyone can find something for themselves. I will definitely re-read it again. It really works: freed from the burden of constant memorization, you are not distracted by thoughts of things to be done. You just live. Here and now. Even in such a fast and changing indefatigable world.

Burnout? Not now :)