Although many aspire to become good developers, in practice, it turns out that not everyone can make it. As in any other profession, in programming too, success has to be earned, and it is constantly essential to remember that it is the product of hard work, talent, and a specific set of qualities and skills. So what can you do to become a good developer? Here are a few tips and tricks to help you achieve higher productivity.

1) Determine how much time you have

There’s no point trying to squeeze too much into your available time. If you set yourself too many tasks to complete for the amount of time that you have available, all you’ll end up doing is stressing yourself out.

2) Determine the time of day that you are most productive

Figuring out what time you are most productive can ensure maximum efficiency and use of your time. It’s much better to work at maximum productivity for 20 minutes rather than minimum productivity for 1 hour.

3) Do a bunch of code challenges

Doing quick code challenges can help solidify the fundamentals. They are great for problem-solving and practising for interviews.

4) Clear your workspace

Working at a desk that’s clean and clear of clutter can go a long way in helping you clear your mind so that you can focus on the task at hand. Cleaning your space may be able to influence your state of mind and encourage new ideas and inspirations.

5) Surround yourself with motivation and inspiration

We all need a boost sometimes to continue, and what better way to do this than to surround ourselves with things that will continue to inspire us?

6) Build projects you love

When you're learning, you will be building various projects to practice (and show off) your skills. Pick project ideas that are interesting to you; you will be much more likely to finish them and want to put work into them. Related, complete those projects. A few really good finished projects are way more impressive than a bunch of half-finished ones!

7) Use a Planner

Use a planner to assist you in sorting your priorities. You can write out your goals, your to-do lists, and everything you need to remember.

8) Make to-do lists

Make lists of all the tasks you have to get through so that everything is displayed clearly in front of you. This will eliminate the need to recall anything from memory and save you a lot of time in between tasks.

9) Stick to a schedule

Ensures that you set aside enough time for work and also give yourself necessary breaks. can help you foster good habits. You’ll be able to be more focused during productivity periods and be able to relax during rest periods.

10) Focus on the fundamentals first

The fundamentals of programming are invaluable, and you will use them no matter what you end up doing with programming. Focus on having a solid knowledge of loops, conditionals, functions, data types, and (in most languages) object-oriented programming before moving on to learning about that awesome library that everyone's talking about. They will also carry over from language to language, so you only have to learn them once -- after that, it's just syntax!

11) Take Care of Yourself

To take care of others, start by taking care of yourself. You can't pour from an empty cup. Neglecting yourself and putting your needs on the back burner inevitably leads to burnout and unhealthy life.

12) Take Breaks

Take regular breaks, even if it’s just to walk across the office and stare out the window at an empty sky for 5 minutes, it gives your brain a chance to calm down a little and perform a pseudo-semi-reset on itself.

13) Document Your Code

No matter what you are developing, chances are that someday you or one of your colleagues will have to revisit it. When that day comes, you will not remember so vividly what you wrote and why. It will save time for you and it will save time for them.

14) Learn From Others

Never stop learning from other people’s mistakes and successes. Those who are new can avoid most mistakes that others have already made and learned from.

15) You don't need to know everything

It is straight-up 100% impossible to know everything about programming. Nobody knows every programming language, every single method that's out there, every library and framework, or the perfect solution to every problem. Don't worry about learning everything, just focus on what you do know and extend that.

16) Get up off your chair frequently

Sitting for long periods can have long-term detrimental effects on your health so I would encourage you to get up and move about often.

17) Remember to drink water

It can be so easy to forget to hydrate yourself when all you’re doing is sitting at your desk. However, studies show that drinking water can increase productivity by up to 14%!

18) Choose healthy snacks

Snacking can have the same effect as water in reducing fatigue. It will also prevent you from getting hungry to the point that you can’t think of anything apart from your stomach. Opt for healthy snacks to boost your productivity even further.

19) Have a change of location

Sometimes if I’ve been working in the same area for too long, I simply lose motivation to continue being productive. A change in the environment can boost your productivity and creativity.

20) Music or no music?

This is a very personal preference. Some people can’t stand silence and work much better with music, while others need silence to think. Analyze your levels of productivity under both conditions and work with whichever suits you.

21) Turn your phone to silent/airplane mode

Remember to keep your workspace clear of distractions by turning your phone on silent. Mobile phones are probably the king of distractions, so do yourself a favour and turn it off.

22) Work on other projects and learn new skills

Working on new projects can be an excellent way to keep your mind fresh. Hobby projects can reflect more on your ideas and help you grow as a coder. Not to mention, the side projects can help you learn new skills.

23) Embrace the cycle of learning

If you're learning to code as a second career, especially if you've been away from the classroom for a while, learning how to learn is going to be a big part of your process. There are lots of ups and downs involved, which is very natural! I would brace myself for that rollercoaster before starting.

24) Have your reason, and remember it

If you want to start programming, there has to be a reason for that. Keep track of that reason; programming is hard, and you will get frustrated sometimes. It will be essential to remember that reason to stick with it.

25) Find a community

Another thing that will help find a community to support you as you start writing code. This community will be valuable because other people will be in the same place as you, offer resources that helped them, and offer encouragement.

26) Break down problems into smaller ones

One of the most important parts of programming is taking a large problem and breaking it into smaller and smaller pieces until those pieces are solvable. If you are looking at a blank text editor and not knowing where to start, it may be because you haven't broken down the problem enough!

27) Pseudocode

Related to the previous point, a lot of times it is beneficial to write down in detail what you are trying to do in plain words before even trying to write code. This process is called pseudocoding, and it can take whatever form you want it to. It can also be helpful to solve a problem slowly on paper first, thinking about or even writing down the individual steps you are taking to solve that problem.

28) Depth over Breadth

Learning one thing in depth is better than learning a tiny bit about a lot of things, especially at first. That in-depth knowledge will carry over and make learning that next thing easier. Put the blinders on, so you don't get tempted to drop what you're learning and move to something new.

29) Compare yourself to only yourself

There are a lot of people learning to code out there. Don't compare your progress to someone else's, instead compare yourself to previous you and focus on your growth.

30) Celebrate your wins

Learning to program can be a difficult process, so when you accomplish something, even if it's small, celebrate it!

Thank you for your time. I hope you found it useful. ❤️

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