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Some productivity practices I made up. What are yours?

Hello all!

So, I'm constantly reviewing myself in terms of productivity. I'm not much into using productivity apps. I sometimes read what other people do to boost their productivity but I do believe that setting your own terms and playing by your own rules can give you the boost you need, specifically suited to your needs and your way of thinking, working, and living.

So, what works for others may not work for you. If it does, well great! But what are some things, practices, rituals that you do, that you made up, or that are very specific to your personality that help you boost YOUR productivity?

It would be nice to learn from the community so each one can adopt and adapt these practices.

Here are some of mine (I actually gave them names):

1. The Rush

I've done this for several years since I was an employee and also as an Indie Hacker. The Rush is useful when I have several small tasks, maybe bugs, or just boring tasks that I know I have to finish, but I kinda procrastinate around them. So I think "Ok, this is boring but I have to do it, so I'll do it fast". Kinda like that old saying that you better finish boring stuff sooner rather than later.

So, I enter "Rush Mode", open my laptop, and work on them like if I was Usain Bolt. This mode usually lasts about 1 and a half hours. I may not finish all of the tasks but at least I progressed. Personally, this mode is exhausting cause I really enter in a super focused, highly energized mode, just like Usain Bolt's sprints.

2. The Super Focus

The Super Focus shares some similarities with The Rush, but it is aimed at single and important tasks that may take me 2-4 hours. Distractions are not allowed when in this mode. I allow several rests during a Super Focus, the number of rests may depend on the difficulty of the task. I'm a programmer so, you may think that I will be immersed in my computer, but sometimes I pseudo-code on paper (more on this below). Another thing that I may do during a Super Focus is just to lie down on the couch and think...a lot.

So, if you ever see me doing that, with a plain expression on my face, don't think I'm procrastinating...I'm actually in Super Focus mode.

3. Hardcore Mode

I entered Hardcode Mode until recently, cause I announced the beta for KnobsAI and told everyone that it's gonna be ready at the end of August. So far, my estimate seems correct, but, I invented this mode to finish those final tasks and details in one last stretch. I'm currently in Hardcore Mode which means "Put as much work as possible in a single day, for several days straight". It's not as strict as the other modes in terms of focus, speed, and distractions, but mostly about the quantity of work. At the end of the day, I'm both tired and satisfied. So tired that I cannot even think more about work.

The important thing here is not to get crazy or become obsessive. Don't forget about resting!

4. Paper Programming

Back when I was in college, some of our programming tests were on paper. We were all angry at this, asking ourselves: Why the fuck do we need to code on paper?! We are programmers! We use computers!

Boy, was I wrong...

I can confidently say that the most difficult algorithms I've solved, were solved on paper, by pseudo-coding before actually coding them.

When doing this, I immerse myself in the paper. It's just like reading a book, which lets your imagination fly. It really doesn't matter if it doesn't compile, if it crashes or if there's bad syntax. I can do all the ugly writings and drawings I want and run the program in my mind when I feel it's ready.

So I run it in my mind, verify it's working, go to the computer and code it. It may need some minor tweaks and that's it.

If I were to do it entirely on my computer, it would probably take me twice as long with several failed attempts that slowly contribute to stress.

5. Rest

The most important of them all. What would be the other ones, without rest? How could you enter Hardcore Mode without resting? I've been burnt out several times during my career and during my Indie Hacker journey. I've been stressed, scared, angry, and I've wanted to give up. The important thing here, to me, is to know at which moment I am. There's been Wednesdays that I've thought "OK, I need to stop working on this for one or two days".

There's always a feeling of "I shouldn't be resting, I should be working" that needs to be overcome.

This is what I consider rest: Time with family, trips with my girlfriend, exercise, Netflix, videogames with friends, playing bass or guitar, doing the garden, walking downtown, not putting alarms in the morning.

Every time I've taken a rest, I've come back stronger and more productive. So, don't forget to rest!


So, that's pretty much it in terms of my productivity-boosting practices. They all have worked for me and I can truly say that I've been way more productive than before I started applying them.

I think that what's really important is that everyone creates their own approaches. These may not work for you but maybe with some tweaks, they will. Are you more productive in the morning? Then wake up early and use your evenings for something else. Do you work better late at night? Great! Just follow your energy.

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