Developer Tea 2: Focus
11 snips
Jan 5, 2015 Focus is a vital skill for developers, demanding sacrifice and intentionality. By saying no to distractions, we enhance productivity and code quality. Studies reveal that multitasking harms both efficiency and IQ. Protecting our attention means adopting pull-based tasks over push notifications. Simple steps like turning off alerts and setting office hours can significantly reduce interruptions. Even the podcast itself could be a distraction—consider letting go of nonessential content to make room for what truly matters.
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Focus Is A Protective Decision
- Focus means saying no to many good ideas so you can protect one chosen path.
- Choosing focus is a decision that requires commitment and protecting that decision.
Focus Is Developers' Core Skill
- Focus is the single most important skill for developers to cultivate.
- Without focus, work becomes inefficient and lower quality.
Multitasking Is Task Switching
- Multitasking is largely task switching, which is mentally costly.
- Task switching drains efficiency and quality because the brain pays a switching cost.