I write this because as I get into these projects with others I always believe I will have plenty of time to get my share of the project done. This is an erroneous assumption. The truth is that I have very little time and the only person I have to blame is myself. Do you ever feel this way? Do you feel like you have time to work out, walk your dog, speak to your mom on the phone, clean your place, and still have enough time to debug, meet project deliverables, learn a new programming language, and make every one happy? The one person who is never happy is me. I cannot make the time for “all of it”…Time management is the greatest challenge I think developers face.
Let’s face it, Software development takes time. In order to be completely effective, a developer should strive to categorize priorities, delegate effectively, know when to say no, ask for help. With effective time management, you can be super productive with less stress and can have more time at hand. You can utilize this extra time to seize more opportunities that can help maintain career goals. Many of us think that multitasking is a sign of being a superior developer. I do not. I think multitasking might even be unavoidable under certain circumstances. But with my experience, I find my most productive hours are when I am focused on one task.
A developer needs to know when to draw the line. It might be awkward initially to say no to a request. No one likes conflicts, especially while working, but if you say yes to every request made to you, you will be soon overwhelmed with tasks that are not on your priority list. And hence? You are forced to multi-task–which sucks. With more work that is not your responsibility, you will start falling behind. Multitasking divides our attention. It makes it harder for us to give our full attention to one thing.
Time management is something that most people want to improve on – especially at work. Being good time at management involves conscious planning and thoughtful decision making. It also involves staying focused and sticking to your prioritized tasks rather than getting derailed by unimportant distractions. It’s not easy, but like any skills you work on, you can get better at time management.
