Coding outside of work. - Revisited
-
So I started working on a project, one that future Mrs. Wiz is doing the frontend/visuals on. It is neither of the 2 previously mentioned projects. How do you pace yourself? I'm having trouble with going home and just coding for like 4 hours straight. It's fun, it's rewarding, but I'm afraid of burnout. 12-14 hours of coding a day seems like it could lean to burnout (I only sleep 5-6 hours). What do you guys do: 1) Schedule set blocks of time. 2) Set upper limits per day. 3) Only code on weekends.
-
So I started working on a project, one that future Mrs. Wiz is doing the frontend/visuals on. It is neither of the 2 previously mentioned projects. How do you pace yourself? I'm having trouble with going home and just coding for like 4 hours straight. It's fun, it's rewarding, but I'm afraid of burnout. 12-14 hours of coding a day seems like it could lean to burnout (I only sleep 5-6 hours). What do you guys do: 1) Schedule set blocks of time. 2) Set upper limits per day. 3) Only code on weekends.
wizardzz wrote:
- Only code on weekends.
That one. I still get burnt out pretty quickly, but I suspect it's because I'm trying to get 2 degrees, work, have side projects, sleep, and still find time to play some games to relax. The easiest one to cut is side projects currently, so they aren't getting anywhere...
-
So I started working on a project, one that future Mrs. Wiz is doing the frontend/visuals on. It is neither of the 2 previously mentioned projects. How do you pace yourself? I'm having trouble with going home and just coding for like 4 hours straight. It's fun, it's rewarding, but I'm afraid of burnout. 12-14 hours of coding a day seems like it could lean to burnout (I only sleep 5-6 hours). What do you guys do: 1) Schedule set blocks of time. 2) Set upper limits per day. 3) Only code on weekends.
In general, you work best when you're not exhausted or worn out from doing one thing all the time. But if you are excited/challenged by a problem and your interest is peaked, ride the wave. I would just let your day-to-day state drive you and rather than an arbitrary deadline you might set for yourself. My 2¢.
-
So I started working on a project, one that future Mrs. Wiz is doing the frontend/visuals on. It is neither of the 2 previously mentioned projects. How do you pace yourself? I'm having trouble with going home and just coding for like 4 hours straight. It's fun, it's rewarding, but I'm afraid of burnout. 12-14 hours of coding a day seems like it could lean to burnout (I only sleep 5-6 hours). What do you guys do: 1) Schedule set blocks of time. 2) Set upper limits per day. 3) Only code on weekends.
I refuse to code when I'm tired, simply because the code I generate when I'm tired isn't fit to wrap dead fish in. Like you, I sleep around 6 hrs a day (which is unhealthy) Mon-Thu. However, if I'm not tired on a weeknight, I work on my home projects about 2-4 hours after work, but if I'm tired, I leave it for the weekend. On weekends, I get up around 6:00am (refreshed) and am able to put in 12-14 hours coding. My best work (on my home projects) is done on weekends. One thing I've learned is to not rush to put something in the hands of users. I want to make sure my app (or feature) is plenty tested before it gets in the hands of the end user. OT: I also try hard to make it brain-dead easy for users to report bugs and upgrade to a new release. My releases are (almost always) backward compatible with older data stores and upgrade in-place by simply clicking OK in a dialog. Nothing to download and no installers to run. I have immense respect for my users and am humbled by the fact they find my apps useful, and consequently want to do everything I can to make it easy for them to use my apps. /ravi
My new year resolution: 2048 x 1536 Home | Articles | My .NET bits | Freeware ravib(at)ravib(dot)com
-
So I started working on a project, one that future Mrs. Wiz is doing the frontend/visuals on. It is neither of the 2 previously mentioned projects. How do you pace yourself? I'm having trouble with going home and just coding for like 4 hours straight. It's fun, it's rewarding, but I'm afraid of burnout. 12-14 hours of coding a day seems like it could lean to burnout (I only sleep 5-6 hours). What do you guys do: 1) Schedule set blocks of time. 2) Set upper limits per day. 3) Only code on weekends.
You forgot #4. 4) Steal time away from boring normal work. :)
Chris Meech I am Canadian. [heard in a local bar] In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is. [Yogi Berra] posting about Crystal Reports here is like discussing gay marriage on a catholic church’s website.[Nishant Sivakumar]
-
You forgot #4. 4) Steal time away from boring normal work. :)
Chris Meech I am Canadian. [heard in a local bar] In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is. [Yogi Berra] posting about Crystal Reports here is like discussing gay marriage on a catholic church’s website.[Nishant Sivakumar]
-
So I started working on a project, one that future Mrs. Wiz is doing the frontend/visuals on. It is neither of the 2 previously mentioned projects. How do you pace yourself? I'm having trouble with going home and just coding for like 4 hours straight. It's fun, it's rewarding, but I'm afraid of burnout. 12-14 hours of coding a day seems like it could lean to burnout (I only sleep 5-6 hours). What do you guys do: 1) Schedule set blocks of time. 2) Set upper limits per day. 3) Only code on weekends.
I hardly ever touch a computer when I'm not at work anymore. Some occasional light browsing on my phone but that is it. Too much other stuff going on.
Every man can tell how many goats or sheep he possesses, but not how many friends. Shed Petition[^]
-
So I started working on a project, one that future Mrs. Wiz is doing the frontend/visuals on. It is neither of the 2 previously mentioned projects. How do you pace yourself? I'm having trouble with going home and just coding for like 4 hours straight. It's fun, it's rewarding, but I'm afraid of burnout. 12-14 hours of coding a day seems like it could lean to burnout (I only sleep 5-6 hours). What do you guys do: 1) Schedule set blocks of time. 2) Set upper limits per day. 3) Only code on weekends.
I've been coding for 25 years and consulting on the side for 17 years. I love it and could do it all day, but you do need to set limits. I pick 2 nights a week and put in 4 hours each night. I also like to code first thing Saturday morning. So find out what works for you and stick with it. Consistency is the keep to not getting burned out.
If it's not broken, fix it until it is
-
I hardly ever touch a computer when I'm not at work anymore. Some occasional light browsing on my phone but that is it. Too much other stuff going on.
Every man can tell how many goats or sheep he possesses, but not how many friends. Shed Petition[^]
That's how I was until recently. I found a personal need for a product based on my interest (comedy). It will be an extremely small niche of people that will use it, but it feels good to create something that will help them. After this, maybe I'll have momentum to create other (potentially more marketable) stuff. When it gets warm out, I'll probably move away from the computer.
-
So I started working on a project, one that future Mrs. Wiz is doing the frontend/visuals on. It is neither of the 2 previously mentioned projects. How do you pace yourself? I'm having trouble with going home and just coding for like 4 hours straight. It's fun, it's rewarding, but I'm afraid of burnout. 12-14 hours of coding a day seems like it could lean to burnout (I only sleep 5-6 hours). What do you guys do: 1) Schedule set blocks of time. 2) Set upper limits per day. 3) Only code on weekends.
I "down tools" at least an hour before I want to go to bed, and I go relax. If I don't, I toss and turn and don't sleep, which is A Bad Thing (I get migraine headaches, and lack of sleep is a contributor).
Software Zen:
delete this; -
In general, you work best when you're not exhausted or worn out from doing one thing all the time. But if you are excited/challenged by a problem and your interest is peaked, ride the wave. I would just let your day-to-day state drive you and rather than an arbitrary deadline you might set for yourself. My 2¢.
-
So I started working on a project, one that future Mrs. Wiz is doing the frontend/visuals on. It is neither of the 2 previously mentioned projects. How do you pace yourself? I'm having trouble with going home and just coding for like 4 hours straight. It's fun, it's rewarding, but I'm afraid of burnout. 12-14 hours of coding a day seems like it could lean to burnout (I only sleep 5-6 hours). What do you guys do: 1) Schedule set blocks of time. 2) Set upper limits per day. 3) Only code on weekends.
-
I refuse to code when I'm tired, simply because the code I generate when I'm tired isn't fit to wrap dead fish in. Like you, I sleep around 6 hrs a day (which is unhealthy) Mon-Thu. However, if I'm not tired on a weeknight, I work on my home projects about 2-4 hours after work, but if I'm tired, I leave it for the weekend. On weekends, I get up around 6:00am (refreshed) and am able to put in 12-14 hours coding. My best work (on my home projects) is done on weekends. One thing I've learned is to not rush to put something in the hands of users. I want to make sure my app (or feature) is plenty tested before it gets in the hands of the end user. OT: I also try hard to make it brain-dead easy for users to report bugs and upgrade to a new release. My releases are (almost always) backward compatible with older data stores and upgrade in-place by simply clicking OK in a dialog. Nothing to download and no installers to run. I have immense respect for my users and am humbled by the fact they find my apps useful, and consequently want to do everything I can to make it easy for them to use my apps. /ravi
My new year resolution: 2048 x 1536 Home | Articles | My .NET bits | Freeware ravib(at)ravib(dot)com
Ravi Bhavnani wrote:
Nothing to download and no installers to run.
Where does the update come from then...? :doh:
The United States invariably does the right thing, after having exhausted every other alternative. -Winston Churchill America is the only country that went from barbarism to decadence without civilization in between. -Oscar Wilde Wow, even the French showed a little more spine than that before they got their sh*t pushed in.[^] -Colin Mullikin
-
So I started working on a project, one that future Mrs. Wiz is doing the frontend/visuals on. It is neither of the 2 previously mentioned projects. How do you pace yourself? I'm having trouble with going home and just coding for like 4 hours straight. It's fun, it's rewarding, but I'm afraid of burnout. 12-14 hours of coding a day seems like it could lean to burnout (I only sleep 5-6 hours). What do you guys do: 1) Schedule set blocks of time. 2) Set upper limits per day. 3) Only code on weekends.
I can't code after work. After sitting at a computer all day, I have to do other things when I get home. So that just leaves the weekend. With winter coming, I anticipate (and look forward to) rainy Saturday and Sunday afternoons finishing two projects that I have going.
What me worry?
-
Ravi Bhavnani wrote:
Nothing to download and no installers to run.
Where does the update come from then...? :doh:
The United States invariably does the right thing, after having exhausted every other alternative. -Winston Churchill America is the only country that went from barbarism to decadence without civilization in between. -Oscar Wilde Wow, even the French showed a little more spine than that before they got their sh*t pushed in.[^] -Colin Mullikin
Sorry, I meant the user doesn't have to download anything manually. It's a one-click "download + install + upgrade data + restart" operation. /ravi
My new year resolution: 2048 x 1536 Home | Articles | My .NET bits | Freeware ravib(at)ravib(dot)com
-
Sorry, I meant the user doesn't have to download anything manually. It's a one-click "download + install + upgrade data + restart" operation. /ravi
My new year resolution: 2048 x 1536 Home | Articles | My .NET bits | Freeware ravib(at)ravib(dot)com
That's what I assumed you meant. Just making sure you hadn't come up with some sort of magic without telling all of us. ;P
The United States invariably does the right thing, after having exhausted every other alternative. -Winston Churchill America is the only country that went from barbarism to decadence without civilization in between. -Oscar Wilde Wow, even the French showed a little more spine than that before they got their sh*t pushed in.[^] -Colin Mullikin
-
So I started working on a project, one that future Mrs. Wiz is doing the frontend/visuals on. It is neither of the 2 previously mentioned projects. How do you pace yourself? I'm having trouble with going home and just coding for like 4 hours straight. It's fun, it's rewarding, but I'm afraid of burnout. 12-14 hours of coding a day seems like it could lean to burnout (I only sleep 5-6 hours). What do you guys do: 1) Schedule set blocks of time. 2) Set upper limits per day. 3) Only code on weekends.
I try to do an hour or so in the evening (but only if I balance it by going to the gym for an hour first - no, it doesn't always work that way :-)) and whatever I need at the weekend.
"If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur." Red Adair. nils illegitimus carborundum me, me, me
-
So I started working on a project, one that future Mrs. Wiz is doing the frontend/visuals on. It is neither of the 2 previously mentioned projects. How do you pace yourself? I'm having trouble with going home and just coding for like 4 hours straight. It's fun, it's rewarding, but I'm afraid of burnout. 12-14 hours of coding a day seems like it could lean to burnout (I only sleep 5-6 hours). What do you guys do: 1) Schedule set blocks of time. 2) Set upper limits per day. 3) Only code on weekends.
wizardzz wrote:
- Schedule set blocks of time.
I skip scheduled blocks now and again. I have a pretty busy schedule and sometimes I don't feel like it. That said, aside from my learning goals (for work) I don't code in my time away from work. The learning goals are for work, but we can't use work hours for them. It's to ensure that we are progressing I suppose. In order for me to do them, I must schedule x amount of time x days a week and try to keep that schedule.
If it moves, compile it
-
-
Andrew Rissing wrote:
I'm a bit of a spelling Nazi, all the fault of my second grade teacher who gave out Reese's Cups as prizes for her weekly spelling bees. I love Reese's Cups.
Andrew Rissing wrote:
Btw, it is sad to see what has happened to Eastman Kodak. (Photographer here)
Indeed it is. I'm still hoping we survive (obviously), but the consumer film business is long gone.
Software Zen:
delete this;