1. Divide giant jobs into smaller, more manageable portions.

It might be intimidating to begin an 80-hour endeavour to create or execute a third-party integration. But if you divide the assignment into smaller chunks, you will find it simpler to estimate the smaller bits and feel more motivated as you accomplish each small task and observe your progress.

Additionally, smaller sub tasks make it easy to assess your progress with your team and identify concerns sooner (e.g., your second sub task taking longer than estimated).

2. Begin with the most challenging jobs with the most unknowns.

The most challenging projects with the most unknowns are the most difficult to estimate precisely due to inadequate data. Therefore, it is essential, to begin with them initially to identify problems or delays early in the project.

3. Know your dependencies

As you are aware, the sequencing of development jobs is significant. You must be mindful of your dependencies, whether it’s because you cannot accomplish one job before another or because you depend on another developer’s work.

Be outspoken and explicit about the relationships between your jobs so that the project may be handled appropriately and you can save time.

4. Avoid moving between contexts at all costs

Even if you believe you are proficient at multitasking, it takes 23 minutes to regain focus after an interruption. Multitasking is basically “task switching” since you are refocusing your attention from one activity to another, which may be detrimental to your efficiency.

Schedule uninterrupted work intervals of two to three hours to optimize concentration time.

Deactivate all email and chat alerts if you need to check your email and chat alerts, and schedule 10–15 minutes of disruption every few hours.

5. Record your project time use

Visibility is crucial to a project, mainly when working remotely when communication is more complicated.

In addition to monitoring the progress of your activities using a program such as JIRA, you should watch how closely you meet your estimates. Do you need to raise your projections for the future? Or could you provide more? This helps identify potential delays early on and ensures that your time is used efficiently.

6. Develop technical documentation and annotate your code

When passing information to new developers, write technical documentation explaining what you’ve developed and your technical judgements to save time in the future.

Commenting on your code may help you save time correcting errors in code you authored years ago. It also facilitates future troubleshooting of your code by other developers.

As a remote software developer, creating such a paper trail makes it much simpler to maintain your code in the future. This might result in high-quality testimonials and improved future initiatives.

7. Develop scripts to automate simple and repetitive activities

Consider developing a script to automate simple repetitive tasks if you find yourself doing them repeatedly. Please do not spend time and valuable mental energy on repeated chores; use them for problem-solving instead.

8. Organize files & resources

An essential aspect of a software developer’s job is retrieving and storing data, mainly when working with other developers. Eliminate unneeded tension by making it simple to locate what you need while working.

The objective is to prepare oneself to work calmly through complex issues under duress.

Take regular pauses, particularly if you’re feeling stuck or anxious.

Frequently, the brain solves issues in the background. Occasionally, a break is just what is required to address a problem. This might consist of a brief stroll or a restful night’s sleep.

Long work duration also make it more challenging to control energy levels. It is preferable to lose 30 minutes to a stroll than several days (or even weeks) to burnout.

Poor vs. Effective Time Management: Four Examples for Software Developers

You must identify your limitations and impediments to improve your time management abilities. Only after recognizing them can you attempt to become a better time manager!

Let’s examine some actual instances of poor and effective time management for software developers.

Example 1:

You begin with some essential work consisting of a few stylistic modifications and then move on to a massive and challenging task requiring new technologies and several unknowns.

You begin with the vast and complicated assignment and accomplish a proof-of-concept to remove unknowns early in the project before starting on the small styling task for which you know the precise amount of time required.

Example 2: Poor time management: You spend days or weeks studying how to deploy a new solution for a project with a tight deadline without talking with anybody or seeking assistance.

You signal that you are unfamiliar with the new solution you are being asked to execute, limit your initial study to one day, and outsource the most complex duties to a colleague with more expertise.

Example 3: You move between coding, replying to Slack conversations, and emailing every five to fifteen minutes.

You inform your staff that you will have three hours to complete your most critical work. Then, you disable all Slack and email alerts during that period to ensure unbroken concentration.

Example 4: Poor time management: You begin a 40-hour job without visibility into the sub tasks involved and only submit an update after you’ve spent 40 hours on it but have yet to be able to finish it or receive input for modifications.

You divide the 40-hour assignment into five to ten little sub tasks, log all sub tasks in JIRA for visibility, and solicit feedback after each sub task. You allow the project manager to employ fast-tracking, if necessary, to expedite project delivery and fulfil deadlines.

Example 5: You accomplish a complicated integration job without documenting how it works, the configuration involved, or why confident security-related choices were taken. When you are subsequently assigned to a new project, you must put in extra hours to convey your expertise to the new developer responsible for maintaining the integration.

Good: Knowing that you will be transitioning to a new project after completing a complex integration task, you request a few extra days on the current project to create technical documentation and add comments to your code so that the maintenance can be handed off to another developer without a hitch.

Conclusion

Every work require time management due to which we gave you few examples on how to manage time and if you are looking to hire software development company with excellent time management skills employees then 10Pearls is here to help you out as it’s a leading software development company is USA.