Best of Work-Life Balance — August 2024

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   Article

   Codemotion·2y

   Got the Time: How a Dev Organizes Their Day While Trying to Stay Sane

   Developers face significant challenges in time management and staying productive amid constant distractions. Techniques like Cal Newport's deep work principles and the Franklin matrix for task prioritization can help. The key to effective to-do lists is keeping them realistic and limited to a manageable number of actions. Reducing social media use and unnecessary notifications are also crucial strategies for maintaining focus.

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   Article

   Substack·2y

   How to say "No" and win back your time as a software engineer

   Sidwyn Koh, a Staff Engineer at Meta, shares strategies on how software engineers can politely say 'no' to save time and focus on their most impactful work. He outlines four approaches: Direct, Redirect, Change Their Perspective, and Stonewall. Additional tips include communicating boundaries, involving managers when overwhelmed, setting focus blocks, documenting knowledge, and balancing when to say 'no' and 'yes.' These tactics help manage responsibilities and maintain a healthy work-life balance.

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   Video

   Community Picks·2y

   A Javascript Software Engineer bought a house | PR Review [17]

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   Article

   Community Picks·2y

   The Senior Engineer Illusion: What I Thought vs. What I Learned

   The journey to becoming a senior engineer shatters many misconceptions held by junior engineers. It’s not just about mastering coding but involves handling complex legacy systems, making strategic decisions after thorough stakeholder communication, balancing coding with multiple other responsibilities, and continuously learning. Senior engineers don’t just write code all day; they're involved in planning, consultations, mentoring, and crisis management. Achieving seniority is less about years of experience and more about impactful problem-solving and adaptability in a constantly evolving tech landscape.

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