This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by John Liter
Some days I feel unstoppable—deep in the zone, code flowing, tabs organized, energy locked in.
Other days… it’s 4 PM, I’ve bounced between Slack, VS Code, Notion, and six Stack Overflow threads—and I can’t tell you what I actually finished.
Being a developer comes with freedom. But no one talks enough about the pressure that freedom brings.
Time is weird in this work.
I’ve Learned That “Busy” Isn’t the Same as Productive
I used to think being constantly active meant I was making progress.
But now, I catch myself asking:
“What actually moved forward today?”
Some days, the only real win was deleting code that no longer served a purpose—and that’s okay.
Deep Work Is Rare… and Priceless
There’s something powerful about a solid 2-hour coding window—no notifications, no background noise, just solving.
Those moments don’t happen by accident. And they don’t happen every day.
But when they do, they remind me why I started coding in the first place.
Routines Help, Until They Don’t
I’ve tried Pomodoros, strict schedules, even time blocking.
Sometimes they work.
Other times, I need flexibility more than structure.
The trick—for me, at least—is knowing which version of me is showing up that day. And adjusting without guilt.
I’ve Felt Burned Out from Doing “Too Much Nothing”
Burnout doesn’t always come from shipping too much.
Sometimes it comes from staring at the same problem too long, getting nowhere, and losing the joy of the work.
That’s when I step away. I don’t “quit”—I just give myself space to come back stronger.
I Don’t Have It All Figured Out
Some weeks I feel aligned. Others, I feel scattered.
But I’ve learned to check in with myself—not just my code.
“Am I creating, or just reacting today?”
“Am I learning, or just collecting tabs?”
“Do I feel behind—or just tired?”
That’s made all the difference.
I’m Curious
How do you manage your time without losing momentum?
Have you found a rhythm that works for you—or are you still figuring it out like me?
What makes you feel in control of your time as a dev?
Drop your thoughts. Let’s talk about the messy, honest side of productivity—no hustle posts, no hacks, just real dev life.
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by John Liter