TLDR: 1. Check emails, messages, updates before working then turn off notifications 2. Do not multi-task, complete one task well, don't hop around from task to task 3. Avoid procrastination, just get started 4. Cut meetings, question if it's needed and who needs to attend 5. Perfectionism is paralyzing, embrace iteration, done is better than perfect 6. Prioritize your health and rest, optimize sleep, exercise, drink lots of water 7. Write good documentation, save your coworkers and future self time
I'm one of those people who will keep either youtube or some other streaming service on in the background. Not because I'm actually paying attention to any of it, but because my brain likes the background noise. Makes me not think of everyday matters, distracts me from reality and actually HELPS productivity. Might be a neurodivergent thing, but hey, it's a neat thing
I have to say, your channel stays true to development. You simply stick to hands on tutorials and talking about how to improve instead of adding on the fear that's around job seeking and the industry around with a lot of other channels. Kudos to you!
Team no case, software engineering AND an AOPA member!? Instant sub.....why am I sweating? In all seriousness, really appreciate your content. Helping a former aircraft mechanic through a career change to tech.
A lot of this is stuff I already knew, but I definitely needed the reminder for every facet of my daily life rn. Sometimes, it's just good to hear it externally. Appreciate it
The notifications tips are good advice for general life! I am so much calmer, organised, focussed and productive since I eliminated unnecessary notifications and adopted "emergency only" sessions.
Some great points. Some of this advice is ok in a vacuum but when you're part of a team if you don't look at notifications/contribute in meetings then you're costing someone else their time (while they wait for you), and if you rely on someone else to do your code reviews you're also wasting their time (they are essentially doing something you should be able to do). Just have the required conversations with your managers/team members to minimise distractions. Blocking out your calendar ahead of time is probably a better actionable point than hoping your managers book your meetings in blocks. LLM tools are really good for documentation.
a good tip: make a schedule/ list of what needs done in the day and high to low priority of the tasks and when you can/should get them done. if you plan out everything that needs done and when it does in advance you prevent distracting yourself daydreaming about what needs done while you’re coding or whatever else you’re focusing on as you already know when and what you are going to do. SCHEDULES/ DAILY PLANNERS ARE EVERYTHING
The problem here is that a lot of people will then focus on the high priority tasks, and if you get hung up on one thing, it becomes difficult to move on. There can easily be times where you’re low energy, distracted, or otherwise not at peak performance, and you could easily knock out a bunch of simpler tasks while leaving a more complex (but higher priority task) for when you’re at peak performance. Planning is good, but too many folks get stuck adhering to a plan much too strictly, to their detriment.
For me, you're the only tech youtuber that's worth it. You speak from the experience in a compelling, natural and tactful way, taking all (I think) factors and variables into consideration. Over time, I've literally stopped following everyone but you. 🙌🏻 Plus, I must admit, I also feel quite identified with you 😅. Long hair, cup anywhere and anytime, studying at college, motorbike... I won't have a farm though 😅, I prefer mountains.
I tend to listen to metal and take a solid break every 45 minutes. As for getting distracted with my phone, Every app has its own notification. I also have different notifications for when my daughter sends me something. I tend to prioritize what she sends.
omg forrest what a good series of advices, tysm! i really need it, i always get rough on me sometimes and im in the mindset that every second i dont code its a second wasted... and its driving me crazy, tysm for the advices
Nice! you just summarized Slow Productivity by Cal Newport and delivered better than his book. So if anyone was interested in the book just watch this video and save your time
Recently, I've been using something called an Eisenhower Matrix. For every assignment, answer two 'yes or no' questions. Is it important? Is it urgent? If yes and yes, then do it now. If yes and no, then triage it. If no and yes, delegate it. If no and no, ignore it for now.
The key point about the Eisenhower Matrix is that one should set aside time for Important and non-urgent tasks, NOT triage them. These are the most important tasks for long term success
I've been trying to be productive for around 8 months, but I have become more unproductive and stressed, feeling overwhelmed by watching too many productivity videos and learning different productivity methods. 💡 This video is really insightful. Thanks for the video ❤️
Happened to me, but the cause often lies elsewhere. In my case I was constantly not properly rested, didn't exercise much and didn't eat that well. And the kicker was that I knew at all times it's probably because of that. Inaction is painful.
You had that since you were a kid? If not you don't have ADHD, you don't just get it randomly. It's far more likely you are just another victim of the modern world. I never had ADHD, still struggled with these issues because of my lack of discipline.
@Leonhart_93 I would take an ADHD test, not everything in this world is your own fault. Poor Discipline is easily confused with a lack of executive function.
I've been learning Web development for two years now, I remember I used to watch Videos of Programming before too (those hours long Coding courses) but couldn't grasp the concept of Basic fundamentalism but after learning from experienced teachers in person, I can proudly say I learned a lot of Basic Concepts of programming and now when I look at the videos of languages that I never touched like JAVA and C++ and many more which has nothing to do with web, I still somehow understands them easily because fundamentals and concepts are all the same wether we talk about Functions/methods, MVC, Components or APIs or even OOps. All the languages share something in common. What I'm trying to say is, Stop relying *heavily* on tutorials and get in a circle of alike people from whom you can learn and grow together. There's no shame in asking for a lil help or Motivation
The 2nd monitor is useful only for comparing stuff that won't fit on the half of the screen, or when you need to have a reference open without alt-tabbing. Other than that... yeah, it's best to turn it off.
Finding motivation to code is really easy, just gaslight yourself into thinking that if you don't finish the work in time someone out there will end up dead because you're overdue, and each time you delay your work, that person suffers more, easy win, gets it done.
For the dishes and taking the dog for a walk - I disagree. I subscribe to the sharp axe method of planning which improves my productivity in a huge way. Literally the first step is to keep your immediate area clean - both dishes at your desk, and clutter on your computer. If you don't do your dishes (in your immediate surroundings mind you) or you leave the dog unwalked (pfft having a dog and worrying about productivity...) then you'll constantly get distracted looking at them and thinking "I should really deal with that eventually". This is in contrast to just 'not' doing those things, and constantly being distracted, even in a minor way. The trouble is with flow. You got to ride that wave while you can because even the smallest distractions will take out out of it, and it on average takes about 20 minutes to get back into that productive flow state. Also that's why turning off notifications and not multitasking is critical.
hey forest hope ur doing well , thx u for amazing videos and all the hard work as always , i was wondering if u can just make a play list considering the topis i would really appreciate it
Accidental productive procrastination: trying to swap to a "faster" dev environment, just to end up back in vscode at the end of the day with nothing done.
Hey Forrest , really nice video ! I was wondering if I could help you with more Quality Editing in your videos and also make a highly engaging Thumbnail and also help you with the overall youtube strategy and growth ! Pls let me know what do you think ?
TLDR:
1. Check emails, messages, updates before working then turn off notifications
2. Do not multi-task, complete one task well, don't hop around from task to task
3. Avoid procrastination, just get started
4. Cut meetings, question if it's needed and who needs to attend
5. Perfectionism is paralyzing, embrace iteration, done is better than perfect
6. Prioritize your health and rest, optimize sleep, exercise, drink lots of water
7. Write good documentation, save your coworkers and future self time
I'm one of those people who will keep either youtube or some other streaming service on in the background. Not because I'm actually paying attention to any of it, but because my brain likes the background noise. Makes me not think of everyday matters, distracts me from reality and actually HELPS productivity. Might be a neurodivergent thing, but hey, it's a neat thing
Exception
I’m definitely the same way
I’m the same. It’s so damn weird isn’t it…
music does this for me, but I have to turn it off if I read big chunks of text, like documentation or smth
That's what I used to think. Then I went with silence, and the difference is stark.
I have to say, your channel stays true to development. You simply stick to hands on tutorials and talking about how to improve instead of adding on the fear that's around job seeking and the industry around with a lot of other channels. Kudos to you!
Team no case, software engineering AND an AOPA member!? Instant sub.....why am I sweating?
In all seriousness, really appreciate your content. Helping a former aircraft mechanic through a career change to tech.
Forrest, your video is valid for every other procrastinator out there, whether you are a coder or you wonder why thy don’t call you a programmer.
A lot of this is stuff I already knew, but I definitely needed the reminder for every facet of my daily life rn. Sometimes, it's just good to hear it externally. Appreciate it
The notifications tips are good advice for general life! I am so much calmer, organised, focussed and productive since I eliminated unnecessary notifications and adopted "emergency only" sessions.
Some great points. Some of this advice is ok in a vacuum but when you're part of a team if you don't look at notifications/contribute in meetings then you're costing someone else their time (while they wait for you), and if you rely on someone else to do your code reviews you're also wasting their time (they are essentially doing something you should be able to do). Just have the required conversations with your managers/team members to minimise distractions. Blocking out your calendar ahead of time is probably a better actionable point than hoping your managers book your meetings in blocks. LLM tools are really good for documentation.
productive procrastination is such a real thing I always did but never gave word to
Good advice. For some of us it's the difficulty is that we have to communicate with people while trying to write/read code. This is the toughest part.
a good tip: make a schedule/ list of what needs done in the day and high to low priority of the tasks and when you can/should get them done. if you plan out everything that needs done and when it does in advance you prevent distracting yourself daydreaming about what needs done while you’re coding or whatever else you’re focusing on as you already know when and what you are going to do. SCHEDULES/ DAILY PLANNERS ARE EVERYTHING
The problem here is that a lot of people will then focus on the high priority tasks, and if you get hung up on one thing, it becomes difficult to move on.
There can easily be times where you’re low energy, distracted, or otherwise not at peak performance, and you could easily knock out a bunch of simpler tasks while leaving a more complex (but higher priority task) for when you’re at peak performance.
Planning is good, but too many folks get stuck adhering to a plan much too strictly, to their detriment.
For me, you're the only tech youtuber that's worth it. You speak from the experience in a compelling, natural and tactful way, taking all (I think) factors and variables into consideration.
Over time, I've literally stopped following everyone but you. 🙌🏻
Plus, I must admit, I also feel quite identified with you 😅. Long hair, cup anywhere and anytime, studying at college, motorbike... I won't have a farm though 😅, I prefer mountains.
I tend to listen to metal and take a solid break every 45 minutes. As for getting distracted with my phone, Every app has its own notification. I also have different notifications for when my daughter sends me something. I tend to prioritize what she sends.
omg forrest what a good series of advices, tysm! i really need it, i always get rough on me sometimes and im in the mindset that every second i dont code its a second wasted... and its driving me crazy, tysm for the advices
Nice! you just summarized Slow Productivity by Cal Newport and delivered better than his book. So if anyone was interested in the book just watch this video and save your time
I have a very small window to go to the gym during the week. When a meeting gets scheduled during that window I completely lose my shit.
Recently, I've been using something called an Eisenhower Matrix. For every assignment, answer two 'yes or no' questions. Is it important? Is it urgent? If yes and yes, then do it now. If yes and no, then triage it. If no and yes, delegate it. If no and no, ignore it for now.
The key point about the Eisenhower Matrix is that one should set aside time for Important and non-urgent tasks, NOT triage them. These are the most important tasks for long term success
4 hour code blocks are great if you already have a plan of what to code.
I can spend hours doodling concepts on my iPad.
I've been trying to be productive for around 8 months, but I have become more unproductive and stressed, feeling overwhelmed by watching too many productivity videos and learning different productivity methods.
💡 This video is really insightful. Thanks for the video ❤️
Don't watch productivity videos. Just turn off the noise (literally and figuratively), remove distractions from your environment, and WORK.
Happened to me, but the cause often lies elsewhere. In my case I was constantly not properly rested, didn't exercise much and didn't eat that well. And the kicker was that I knew at all times it's probably because of that. Inaction is painful.
first timer here! enjoyed the video ❤ spot on!
Great advices, I'm gonna activate notifications for further videos
Thank you for this video it was well needed!
Been struggling with my ADHD lately and needing this exact chat.
You had that since you were a kid? If not you don't have ADHD, you don't just get it randomly. It's far more likely you are just another victim of the modern world. I never had ADHD, still struggled with these issues because of my lack of discipline.
@Leonhart_93 I would take an ADHD test, not everything in this world is your own fault. Poor Discipline is easily confused with a lack of executive function.
My code compiling on the first try is a GIANT red flag.
Forrest the master! 😎😎 hope you’re doing great!! I’m doing all the things that you’re advising not to do hahah I have to be more productive!
I've been learning Web development for two years now, I remember I used to watch Videos of Programming before too (those hours long Coding courses) but couldn't grasp the concept of Basic fundamentalism but after learning from experienced teachers in person, I can proudly say I learned a lot of Basic Concepts of programming and now when I look at the videos of languages that I never touched like JAVA and C++ and many more which has nothing to do with web, I still somehow understands them easily because fundamentals and concepts are all the same wether we talk about Functions/methods, MVC, Components or APIs or even OOps. All the languages share something in common.
What I'm trying to say is, Stop relying *heavily* on tutorials and get in a circle of alike people from whom you can learn and grow together. There's no shame in asking for a lil help or Motivation
The 2nd monitor is useful only for comparing stuff that won't fit on the half of the screen, or when you need to have a reference open without alt-tabbing. Other than that... yeah, it's best to turn it off.
Very helpful video
Energy in this video
🔥
I have a really bad case of brain fog these days. I just zone out and keep looking at the code instead of thinking of a solution....
You can priortize your family and still use DnD. You just set their contacts up to bypass DnD, then you have a single switch off/on.
Currently procrastinating watching this 😂
What keyboard is on your desk?
Finding motivation to code is really easy, just gaslight yourself into thinking that if you don't finish the work in time someone out there will end up dead because you're overdue, and each time you delay your work, that person suffers more, easy win, gets it done.
Amazing American Accent, gotta learn some of it too!!
I didn’t know this video was featuring me 😂
forrestkinght is the Matthew McConaughey of coding
thank you very much 🔥
Like from Brazil! +1 Subscribed!
For the dishes and taking the dog for a walk - I disagree.
I subscribe to the sharp axe method of planning which improves my productivity in a huge way. Literally the first step is to keep your immediate area clean - both dishes at your desk, and clutter on your computer. If you don't do your dishes (in your immediate surroundings mind you) or you leave the dog unwalked (pfft having a dog and worrying about productivity...) then you'll constantly get distracted looking at them and thinking "I should really deal with that eventually". This is in contrast to just 'not' doing those things, and constantly being distracted, even in a minor way.
The trouble is with flow. You got to ride that wave while you can because even the smallest distractions will take out out of it, and it on average takes about 20 minutes to get back into that productive flow state. Also that's why turning off notifications and not multitasking is critical.
hey forest hope ur doing well , thx u for amazing videos and all the hard work as always , i was wondering if u can just make a play list considering the topis i would really appreciate it
I remember when I wrote a recursive function that passed all the tests on the first try.
Accidental productive procrastination: trying to swap to a "faster" dev environment, just to end up back in vscode at the end of the day with nothing done.
I fixed my squeaky door on Wednesday when I could have been coding...
oh wow is this the benq programming monitor?
What chair do you use?
Have you read Deep Work, by Cal Newport by any chance?
Hey Forrest , really nice video ! I was wondering if I could help you with more Quality Editing in your videos and also make a highly engaging Thumbnail and also help you with the overall youtube strategy and growth ! Pls let me know what do you think ?
I'm sorry I have to ask : is that a drawing on your desktop tower or just your kids artwork?
you should have more subscribers
big fan of u...
No wonder that our developers don’t answer customer service emails.
First seed planted in this forest!
That sounds a bit odd hehe
According to one commenter you're having so many issues because you're a Java dev and about to be obsolete. All that worrying about finding jobs 🤣
That commenter probably never worked, a kid hobbyist from discord servers probably
@@Lykkos-321 I figured they're glued to Theo and Primeagean.
@@brandonw1604insufferable people, my goodness
How is coffee business going?
jsyk the second half of the video is mislabeled as entirely sponsored content
Chatgpt breaks your focus?
5th place ultra bronze 🥉