How to be a productive developer, based on ancient philosophy
What Plato, Aristotle and Lao Tzu can teach us about productivity
A lot of self-help books these days are about increasing productivity. One might think that this obsession with productivity is a recent trend but that is far from the truth. Productivity is being discussed since the beginning of eastern and western philosophies.
"Pleasure in the job puts perfection in work" - Aristotle
Have work-related goals and ambitions, but pay attention to the job itself. Do it in a way that makes you love it, and take pride in it. This leads to fulfillment. Do not sacrifice your present for tomorrow either.
Great acts are made up of small deeds. -- Lao Tzu
That little article you read today and learned about new features of CSS can save you hours of work half a year from now. That little refactor of code and bug fix you did in your free time today can avoid a catastrophic application failure in the future. Every small little thing you learn today, every new algorithm you write, such small actions combined form your system of programming problem-solving. If you don't have a defined goal in life, that is OK too. Focus on self-improvement, growth, and being a better version of yourself. Don't sit idle just searching for a goal.
Better a little which is well done than a great deal imperfectly - Plato
Do 4-5 important tasks in a day that make a meaningful impact rather than doing a whole lot of work that is half-assed. Life is long, but your days are short. You can achieve a lot in life but a day isn't enough for most things. Don't try to do the impossible in a single average day.
It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop. - Confucious
Some people boast about learning to code in 30-60 days. It doesn't matter how fast or slow you go at it. It's not a race. Besides the world of Computer Science and Programming is so vast that no single person knows it all. We must endeavor to uncover and discover bits of it gradually. No matter how small your effort, keep moving and stop for nothing.
If you seek tranquility, do less. Or do what's essaintial. Do less, better. Because most of what we do or say is not essaintial. If you can eliminate it, you'll have more tranquility. - Marcus Aurelius.
When you think you have a lot to do, do what is most essential. Start with work that is a bare-minimum requirement. Remove non-essential distractions. The more you eliminate distractions, the more tranquility you have. Is Netflix binge-watching hampering your productivity? Unsubscribe. Is Instagram affecting your self-worth? Uninstall. Continue eliminating everything else that hurts your sanity and productivity.