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Time Management For Grumpy Programmers

Chris Hartjes
February 04, 2017

Time Management For Grumpy Programmers

Slides of a talk on time management strategies I gave at SunshinePHP 2017

Chris Hartjes

February 04, 2017
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  1. Who Am I? Long-time PHP user Testing advocate Verified Twitter

    User Life-balance champion Semi-organized
  2. – WikiPedia “Time management is the act or process of

    planning and exercising conscious control over the amount of time spent on specific activities, especially to increase effectiveness, efficiency or productivity.”
  3. The Grumpy Time Management System 1. Work from finish to

    start 2. You can never “create more time” 3. Do fewer things but do them better
  4. Work from finish to start I knew when I had

    to give the talk …and I know how long it takes me to write one… …so I picked a completion date
  5. “I knew when I had to give the talk…” Open-ended

    tasks destroy productivity Create your own deadlines if necessary
  6. “I knew when I had to give the talk…” Put

    future events in your calendar You WILL forget important things so reduce the risk
  7. “…and I know how long it takes me to write

    one…” Learn your work pace Break down tasks to the smallest bit Don’t lie to yourself!
  8. Talk Creation Work Pace Usually takes me 1 hour to

    create my talk outline Usually takes me 4-5 hours to create slides
  9. Break Tasks Down Be brutally honest with yourself Rely on

    past experience to drive timelines Stop when you can’t break it down any more
  10. “…and I know how long it takes me to write

    one…” Leave room for mistakes Do the work in blocks Don’t overextend!
  11. Leave room for mistakes You will make many mistakes You

    will need to take breaks Don’t be a hero
  12. Do the work in blocks Helps you learn your work

    pace Allows pauses for rewards Stick to the blocks, don’t rush ahead!
  13. Don’t overextend By figuring out blocks, you can schedule actions

    NEVER WORK OUTSIDE THOSE BLOCKS NO, I MEAN IT
  14. “…so I set aside time on my calendar to work

    on it” Added in 6 1-hour blocks of time… …and got to work creating this talk
  15. The Truth About Time We all get the same 168

    hours per week We all make choices about what to do with our time
  16. Taking control of your time is the best thing you

    can do for your career and your mental health
  17. Warning Signs You Need To Do Less Work “I always

    have killer deadlines” “My brain needs me to keep busy” “I’m afraid I am going to get fired”
  18. The 4-Day Work Week “Hack” Interview and get a job

    offer with a 20% raise Tell employer “I want to stay but only work 4 days a week for the same money” Either you get an extra day or extra money
  19. The Grumpy Time Management System 1. Work from finish to

    start 2. You can never “create more time” 3. Do fewer things but do them better