Leave work slightly unfinished for easier flow the next day
read.engineerscodex.com
Leave work slightly unfinished for easier flow the next day
1–10 of 105 posts
Re: Leave work slightly unfinished for easier flow the next day
#2The part about finding a "sticking point" is really important - if you know what's next, you can pick up the context rather easily and get going. If you end the day feeling confused or not sure how to approach the next problem, it's going to be rough coming back to it.
Re: Leave work slightly unfinished for easier flow the next day
#3The part about finding a "sticking point" is really important - if you know what's next, you can pick up the context rather easily and get going. If you end the day feeling confused or not sure how to approach the next problem, it's going to be rough coming back to it.
On the other hand, leaving the day feeling confused and sleeping on the problem is often times more helpful than pushing through when you're not getting anywhere in the moment. It gives time for those "aha" moments when you're not actively problem solving.
Re: Leave work slightly unfinished for easier flow the next day
#4The part about finding a "sticking point" is really important - if you know what's next, you can pick up the context rather easily and get going. If you end the day feeling confused or not sure how to approach the next problem, it's going to be rough coming back to it.
On the other hand, leaving the day feeling confused and sleeping on the problem is often times more helpful than pushing through when you're not getting anywhere in the moment. It gives time for those "aha" moments when you're not actively problem solving.
Agreed. Leaving work unfinished, knowing what to do next, is for me the best way to be unable to fall asleep at night. That code just has to get out.
I have no problem stopping something when I feel stuck though.
Re: Leave work slightly unfinished for easier flow the next day
#5The part about finding a "sticking point" is really important - if you know what's next, you can pick up the context rather easily and get going. If you end the day feeling confused or not sure how to approach the next problem, it's going to be rough coming back to it.
I think the best thing in that situation is usually to empty your brain of the seemingly important observations you've made and then sleep on it.
Re: Leave work slightly unfinished for easier flow the next day
#6The part about finding a "sticking point" is really important - if you know what's next, you can pick up the context rather easily and get going. If you end the day feeling confused or not sure how to approach the next problem, it's going to be rough coming back to it.
On the other hand, leaving the day feeling confused and sleeping on the problem is often times more helpful than pushing through when you're not getting anywhere in the moment. It gives time for those "aha" moments when you're not actively problem solving.
Passive processing is real. Very often it’s not others that need convincing, it’s yourself.
Re: Leave work slightly unfinished for easier flow the next day
#7I've done this, in a way, for years!
My biggest problem in the morning is just getting going. I work better late in the afternoon and into the evening. So often, I've left a final compile or commit undone so I can just "quickly" do it in the morning out of necessity or, at times, sheer anxiety.
When I get this done in the morning, then I'm in the game so to speak.
Re: Leave work slightly unfinished for easier flow the next day
#8The part about finding a "sticking point" is really important - if you know what's next, you can pick up the context rather easily and get going. If you end the day feeling confused or not sure how to approach the next problem, it's going to be rough coming back to it.
On the other hand, leaving the day feeling confused and sleeping on the problem is often times more helpful than pushing through when you're not getting anywhere in the moment. It gives time for those "aha" moments when you're not actively problem solving.
After many years of learning this lesson over and over again, that much my subconscious works on problems, I've finally learned to trust myself to step away when I feel like I'm grinding.
Re: Leave work slightly unfinished for easier flow the next day
#9Productivity should always be to fulfill a terminal goal that ideally should excite and benefit you. If you are being productive just for the sake of it, or to get an employer off your back, you’re doing something wrong. I made this mistake in my early 20s.
If you do the above you don’t need any tricks. You just follow your curiosity, excitement, and obsession.
If you’re not excited by the end goals then you will never be able to bandaid that over with productivity tricks.
Re: Leave work slightly unfinished for easier flow the next day
#10A variant I've been using for a while is leaving a failing test. When I get started again I can focus on getting that test to pass. In the process I build the bigger context.