I was hoping for that as well. Here's one trick at least for programmers: if you unit test everything right away, getting your pass rate from 0/100 to 100/100 can be like scoring in a game. Personally I've found this strategy feeds into all the habits I developed when I used to play computer games. Gamers have incredible focus; sitting in your chair for 10 hours straight trying to beat a level sound familiar? If you can leverage even a piece of that mindset I'd say you're in good shape in terms of focus.
I'm not sure there's anything one could say about focus/productivity that's particular to software engineers. When it comes right down to it, the sort of work we do is susceptible to the same procrastination pitfalls as any other knowledge worker, and so it can be avoided in the same ways.
The most helpful advice I've gotten on productivity has come from Merlin Mann of 43Folders (and other projects), and he mostly writes about writing.
Actually it is profound , the "profoundness" lies in the simplicity of the advice, why designers/software engineers require tonnes of apps "to get focussed" is beyond me.
Scientists,Mathematicians and artists don't use strategies to get focussed , they just get on with it.
Hey Whimsy -- It depends on how you define profound. I think simple, common sense practices can be profound without needing deep stories, data or figures backing it up.
Let me know what other types of focus activities have helped you out. I'll include a chapter or piece on it.
- Scott
P.S. I've been using RescueTime and it's also a good addition in using focus tools
Yes, it definitely depends on how one defines profound.
For my own part, this is common sense rather than profundity. I don't have a smart phone, I don't use Twitter, I don't worry about getting my inbox to zero, and I disconnect from the internet when I'm trying to get something done that requires focus (writing, coding, projects, etc). The fewer distractions... the better.
Perhaps I'm just young and impudent, but it bothers me that this might surprise anyone, or that this might be unintuitive. It's the unintuitive stuff that I consider profound.