4 tips to simplify your IT programmer's work life

If you could simplify your life—doing fewer boring tasks and spending more time actually getting things done—would you be willing to try? Let me share some tips on how to make a programmer's work life simpler.

If you listen to yourself, you'll find that most of the time you spend doing things that aren't fun. However, in order to accomplish the important tasks you enjoy, you must first complete those monotonous and time-consuming necessary responsibilities. So, wouldn't it be great if you could simplify your tasks, do less boring and time-consuming things, and actually spend your time doing the things you enjoy? With the following simple techniques, you may be able to achieve your wish.

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Find bottlenecks in your personal life

Stever Robbins, who calls himself a "task geek," believes that recognizing and eliminating bottlenecks is one of the main keys to increasing productivity. While the information he provides is old hat, he does provide a great example of what a bottleneck is. It explains how three seemingly identical situations can have three completely different bottlenecks.

He started by discussing the German Autobahn - an autobahn with no speed limit. Your bottleneck (or limiting factor) is the top speed of your car. If your car can only go 105 mph, then that's the top speed you can go. However, on a traditional American highway, the bottleneck is completely different. You can drive the same car - and still go 105 mph, but the bottleneck is actually the 70 mph speed limit. On a muddy, potholed road, even if there is no speed limit, the mass and friction of the road becomes the speed bottleneck.

In other words, in these three cases, even though the cars are exactly the same, there are still three different bottlenecks. This is obvious. Do you know what your bottlenecks are? If you have never thought about this question, then there is a high probability that you have never solved them. In order to better achieve their goals and apply the tips mentioned below, IT professionals must first be able to recognize and eliminate the bottlenecks that hinder productivity.

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For you, the bottleneck may be the morning rush hour - leaving home at 8:30 in the morning is when the traffic is at its worst. The solution is to go to work earlier - avoid wasting time on the road so you can get more done. For someone else, the bottleneck may be a computer with an outdated operating system - it's slow and often freezes. The solution is to upgrade the operating system, with the awareness that the future benefits outweigh the upfront costs.

4 tips to get more done

The following tips will help you identify and eliminate potential bottlenecks to increase productivity in your daily work life:

Arm yourself with the right tools.

It's hard to succeed alone, especially in IT, where you need to constantly learn from others. Use tools and resources like Spiceworks Help Desk, Computerworld, and DZone to learn from others and complement your own experience. Join in conversations, try new tools, and adopt new productivity strategies.

Cancel unnecessary meetings.

There's no greater waste of time in the workplace than unnecessary meetings. Yet, it seems every company thinks these boring meetings are important and effective. If you have a say, consider canceling or combining meetings. If you do need to have a meeting, make sure it's structured. As technology consultant Glenn Dejaeger says, "Organize it in a way that encourages communication, rather than trying to isolate each team member." Keep meetings short and give everyone a chance to express their opinions.

Learn to say no.

When you can't fit something into your schedule or it doesn't make sense to take on new responsibilities, don't be afraid to say no politely but firmly.

Strengthen communication with colleagues.

When you work closely and often with others, you need to focus on clear and accurate communication. If you and your colleagues don’t currently practice open communication, now is the time to start. It can speed up the process and eliminate delays caused by confusion or lack of clarity.

Summarize

Ultimately, simplifying your life, increasing productivity, and devoting more time to the things you enjoy starts with recognizing and eliminating bottlenecks. So, can you find the bottleneck in your career?