- fully specify the problem before jumping in. Write what you know, the context and the unknowns.
- Write the steps of the solution before jumping into a problem.
- If writing a report, create the outline/heading structure before doing any other writing.
- If you want to do something non-trivial, quickly search the web to see if someone has written a library or has a one-liner to save you time.
- 80% of your results will come from the first 20% of the total time you spend working on something. Anything after that is polish. This helped me to overcome perfectionism.
- If you don’t know something, ask a colleague or peer. They will be thankful for the opportunity to teach you something.
- If you’re ‘stuck’ on something, completely switch context for an hour or even a day. The subconscious mind does serious heavy lifting, it just needs time (and rest!).
- if you’re learning a new concept and struggling, don’t write detailed notes straight away. Your notes at this stage reflect a naïve understanding. Letting an idea ‘ferment’ before writing about it will result in primo notes.
- Don’t spend too much time buggering around with tools and tech. If you’re spending more than 30% of the total task time on ‘ceremony’ or ‘config’, it’s a hindrance.
There’s more but these are the main ones.