To get a better idea of how much time I actually work I started using the pomodoro technique a few weeks ago. I've noticed I do around 12 pomodoros (about 6 hours) of solid work before calling it a day. Usually by the end I'm mentally exhausted (is this normal?) and want to go home.
I'm really curious to know if six hours of work a day is normal. How much time do people spend actually working at the office? A lot of people at Facebook put in long hours, but I feel like that may be because they spend some time browsing reddit, reading hacker news, etc., rather than working.
So far after compiling feedback I've received from my manager and peers I'd say I'm performing above average but not exceptionally.
I hear about people working 60 hours a week and I wonder how they do it. Do you compromise on productivity? How do you stay focused for so long?
How many hours do you put in at the office? How many of those are spent doing productive work?
I guess my stamina is just lower than yours.
I highly recommend Cal Newport's blog as he writes phenomenal content on "deep work", the importance of focus, and how to maximize your "deep work" output. --> http://calnewport.com/blog/about/
Separate out "deep work" (design, coding, problem solving) from "shallow work" (email, social media). Do as much deep work as possible every day, but then fill in the rest with shallow but necessary work.
P.S. My average day-job working time is 8 hrs.
I used to read his blog quite regularly in college - perhaps I should go back and reread some of his stuff again.
I found his piece on deliberate practice also worth a read: http://calnewport.com/blog/2011/11/11/if-youre-busy-youre-do...
> Separate out "deep work" (design, coding, problem solving) from "shallow work" (email, social media). Do as much deep work as possible every day, but then fill in the rest with shallow but necessary work.
That's an interesting thought - in general I've noticed writing email and attending meetings tend to require far less mental strain than focused work.
So yeah about 6 hours of 'working' on an average day at the office for 9 hours.
2 hours a day.
I've only seen these sorts of hours in government jobs.
The later part of my day is often the most productive - fag break meetings have initiated most of the best work we've produced by having an informal chat before something becomes a thing.
Working hard is genuinely admirable, I did startups and put in some serious deathmarch shifts, but I honestly believe that if you're delivering what you signed up to do, and using any leftover time productively, you're making a positive net contribution and probably becoming a better developer as a result. It's a win-win and you won't burn out.
Write beautiful, elegant code, deliver everything you've promised you will, the rest of the time just enjoy doing something you love.
Total time invested is typically 50-70 hours per week depending on what I need to get done. I don't have a family, so that makes it a lot easier for me personally. I take breaks throughout the day whenever I feel like it. I try to heavily restrict demands on my time, I find that's hugely beneficial both to my work and non-work life.
The first 10 years of my career were spent trying to work more and more hours to make more and more money. These days I try to work as few hours as possible while still maintaining a decent standard of living.
I work 10 - 1 have an hour break and then do 2 - 4.
I find I can get most work done using that framework whilst still allowing me time to get other stuff done in the morning/late afternoon that might otherwise be a distraction!
That sounds incredibly stressful. Out of curiosity, how many hours do you typically put in at school (attending classes, studying, working on assignments, etc.)? What sort of work do you do?
I've thought about studying for a Master's degree while I work here - always wanted to experience a 'real' education since my undergrad was really disappointing as far as academics were concerned. A top school from a developing country still doesn't come close to an average school in North America or Europe unfortunately :(
type of work - Ruby and JavaScript coding in a software house, remotely, with very flexible hours.
how distraction-free are you able to keep your pomodoro work intervals?