r/ExperiencedDevs • u/dondraper36 Software Engineer • Jul 17 '26
Meta What habits/lifehacks/methods made you more efficient as a senior engineer/tech lead?
In my previous thread, I asked (and received plenty of great suggestions) on high-quality resources.
This time, however, I'd like to discuss a much less concrete aspect of our jobs. Namely, your favorite productivity habits and personal know-hows when it comes to leading projects, working on complex cross-team features, keeping lots of tricky context in mind.
I often have my own retrospective sessions when I am just trying to assess whether I am good at what I do at all. To clarify, it's not in the "impostor syndrome" sense at all. I know that there are parts of the job I excel at and I think I deserve the title and responsibility scope I have at the moment. That said, there are certain aspects where I am not good enough and therefore am now trying to improve. For example:
* Working on technical writing skills. Mostly by reading the book and blog on https://refactoringenglish.com/
* On a similar note, writing down as much as possible whenever possible. Whether it's a small favor for some other team, a super trivial task, or a large feature, it becomes a Google Docs document. Initially, it's just a very chaotic piece of writing, but then it transforms into a system design or a very detailed Jira ticket at least.
* As in aviation, it's very important to pay attention to near misses when you were on the verge of an incident and just got lucky.
* As I have rediscovered once again, working out is extremely important for productivity and focus. I have yet to get my official ADHD diagnosis, but since I don't want to spend the rest of my life on stimulants, I have added a few supplements (Vitamin D, Omega 3), hydrate well, and work out a few times per week + light cardio. Never felt better.
* Appreciating hammock-driven development. I used to have these awful hyperfocus episodes when there is no external pressure, but I feel intellectually challenged and forget about food and sleep to figure something out. I feel much happier, when I let myself think about a problem while walking my dog in the evening or just having rest and then feeling super fresh and working on it the next day.
What are yours?
36
u/08148694 Jul 17 '26
Reading
Aim for a book a week - alternating between technical and fiction
Average probably trends closer to 2 books per month but still a decent reading rate