Time Management Tips for Developers

1. Break projects into steps with specific deadlines for completion of each step.

2. Generate manageable due dates for the achievement of these steps and schedule specific times to complete the steps to meet these due dates.

3. Use due dates to monitor progress towards the completion of steps in your plan.

4. Write down daily tasks and cross them off as they are accomplished.

5. Use calendar books to record appointments and intended dates for completion of tasks.

6. Have daily objectives to move them toward the completion of multiple tasks.

7. Continually review long-term goals so the sight of long range objectives is not lost.

8. Begin projects early to give yourself time and freedom to brainstorm about the best ways to accomplish your tasks.  Begin early on assignments to create the opportunities to gather information, think over the matter, and collaborate with others for assistance and suggestions.

9. Be honest about how plans are going.  Don’t hesitate to modify plans to achieve better results.

10. Seek advice from others.  Accept and even seek input from anyone in a position to assist you or offer helpful information.  Review other’s materials, converse and correspond with expert sources, and consider other’s ideas as you plan a course of action.

11. Use available resources and don’t try to go it alone unless it is unavoidable.

12. Inform people involved as much in advance as possible about any role these people may have in any activity.  This allows time for others to plan ahead as well.

13. Remain flexible and prepare for the unexpected.  Successful people have plans B and C.

14. Try to anticipate obstacles but be ready to adapt plans in cases of the unexpected.

15. Remain persistent in the face of adversity by considering other avenues of approach when encountering barriers.  Effective time managers don’t give up easily.

16. Realize that a polite “No” is sometimes a proper response.  An effective time manager has the ability to say, “I will get back to you on that.  I want to think about it overnight” or “No, I cannot do that now” if the request is disruptive to task completion and progress toward goals.

Credit : Dennis H Congos