What are your best developer efficiency tips for staying productive?

[Mia_H]

Hey everyone, I've been trying to optimize my workflow lately and I'm curious what developer efficiency tips you all swear by. I feel like I waste so much time switching between tasks or getting stuck on small things. Are there any specific habits or tools that have made a big difference in your productivity?

[Samuel32]

One of my favorite developer efficiency tips is time blocking. I literally schedule my entire day in 30-60 minute blocks for specific tasks. It sounds rigid but it prevents context switching which is a huge productivity killer. I use a simple timer app and when it goes off, I either move on or consciously decide to extend the block.

[DavidM]

As a beginner, the biggest efficiency tip for me was learning to use the terminal properly. I used to click through folders in Finder/Explorer but once I got comfortable with basic terminal navigation and commands, everything got so much faster. Also, learning to touch type if you don't already - it's painful at first but pays off massively.

[Stephen31]

Automate everything you do more than twice. Seriously. If you find yourself doing the same sequence of commands or steps regularly, write a script for it. Even simple bash scripts or aliases can save hours over time. I have aliases for my most common git operations, project setup commands, deployment scripts - everything.

[Anthony.J]

Learn your tools deeply. Most developers use 10% of their IDE's capabilities. Take a weekend to really learn your editor - keyboard shortcuts, extensions, debugging tools, refactoring capabilities. The time investment pays back exponentially. Also, keep a solutions journal" - when you solve a tricky problem, document it briefly so you don't have to solve it again.

[Joseph.J]

The single biggest efficiency tip I can give is to minimize meetings. Sounds obvious but it's huge. I block off 4-hour chunks in my calendar for deep work and decline meetings during those times unless absolutely necessary. Also, turn off notifications when you're coding. Email, Slack, everything - they can wait an hour.