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In the morning, I write down (and tell my team at standup) what I plan to accomplish today. I need to feel that the plan is doable, and my team needs to feel that the plan is making good progress toward our goals. As I go through the workday, I move tasks from "need to do today" to "doing" or "did today". The "did today" list becomes what I tell my team the next day at standup. I also have lists for "need to do this sprint" and "need to do sometime (non-sprint work)". I track my time working. I use an iOS app called ATracker Pro, and I like it because it's local-first and simple. When I am engaged in work or doing something work-related and mandatory (trainings, OS upgrades, etc.), the timer is ticking. When I step away for lunch, bathroom, breaks, etc., or feel like browsing Hacker News for a while, I stop the timer. I have a goal for myself of 7 hours of work a day, and 35 hours of work a week. The app notifies me when I hit the goals. Some days I manage only 5 hours, while other days I exceed 10. The time tracking is for me to stay accountable to myself. My workplace doesn't require me to track/log time. It's simply for me to know that I am giving my employer the time they expect of me... not less, and preferably not more. It helps me to find work/life balance. I can allow myself to take a nap in the middle of the day, or start work late, and know that it'll work out. I try to be consciously aware of procrastination. The timer is to help with that (so I stop the timer if I feel like procrastinating---then I can do so guilt-free). But also, I am aware that procrastination is an emotion management problem, not a time management problem. Reflecting on that helps me to break out of it. I ask myself, what do I feel negatively about? Is the task too vague? Are the implementation details unpleasant? What's the smallest step I can take to make progress? Lastly, I recommend the book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People," specifically the first three: Be Proactive, Begin With The End In Mind, and Put First Things First. |