5 Practical Ways to Be a More Organised Developer

Being organised and productive doesn't come easy. But then, who said it would be? Don't worry if you're not as productive as you want to be. There are always some tactics that can get you to the right place.

If you're struggling to be organised and finish your projects, I might have some tips for you on how you can improve. To become a successful developer, you undoubtedly need to be organised and stay on top of things. I'm still not in a place where I want to be, but I've figured that if I let my routines slip a little, it slows my progress dramatically. So, here are five tips on how you can become more disciplined 😄.

1. Write down your goals

It might seem a bit obvious, but if you still haven't started writing your goals down, then you have no idea how powerful it is! Neuroscientists prove that if you do that, your brain gets rewired and helps you remember the important stuff. You can start a journal and write down your tasks every morning. Or if you like, you can start with a simple to-do list. It doesn't matter what you decide to do. The result is what matters the most. All you need is a piece of paper and a pen or a pencil.

2. Make deadlines for yourself and follow a schedule

If you don't have a schedule, not only it's hard to be organised, but you're also at risk of developing depression and becoming unhealthy. No, it's not even a joke. Studies show that people who don't follow a schedule tend to be more unhappy. Design your day so that you're satisfied at the end of it.

Let's say you have a project you want to finish - you assign the necessary tasks and make deadlines for yourself. That way, you'll be sure you won't end up with fifty-eight unfinished projects that nobody wants to see because they don't demonstrate your determination. Create a schedule and stick to it!

3. Use Trello

This application is a freaking game changer. If you don't know Trello and you call yourself a developer, then you should probably quit doing it and start reengineering your whole career.

Okay, I'm joking. But still, if you don't know it, then you need to sign up on the official website and start managing your projects properly. And just for the record, it's not an advertisement - I only think it's a terribly useful application. I use it for my projects, and it's already helping me a lot.

4. Keep your code organised and scalable

Keeping your code organised and adjustable to changes is as important as staying organised yourself. In fact, I think both of those things overlap. Firstly, make sure that when you look at your code 5-6 months from now, you'll be able to tell what the hell you were doing. Secondly, organise your code and make it modular. Instead of having one big JavaScript file, you can split it into modules and have each one of them be responsible for different functionality. Also, you can follow some programming architectures which I'm not going to go into right now. If you're curious though, you can search for some examples on the internet 😁.

5. Make it fun, and love the process

It goes without saying that if you don't love what you do, you're already lost. If you follow a schedule, recognise that it's not a punishment or a chore. You're making a schedule because you want to grow and take care of yourself along with your future career. Remember that productivity is a byproduct of your passion and commitment to something you believe is right. Love and happiness drive everything. It's good to keep it in mind.