Boost Your Coding Efficiency: Master Fundamentals and Smart Time Management

We often hear anxieties like “Wow, the week flew by and I did nothing.” Below are personal insights on overcoming that feeling.

Spend Time on Fundamentals, Read Documentation

As programmers,

debug

is a daily operation—time‑consuming and mentally draining. Many issues stem from weak fundamentals or insufficiently reading documentation.

Fundamentals support technology; investing in them is better than chasing every new tool. Once basics are solid, learning new technologies becomes quick because they share underlying concepts. It’s like learning to use chopsticks before stuffing food into your mouth.

Documentation is also a technical foundation. Good libraries include usage instructions in their docs, and careful reading can dramatically reduce bugs.

Draw a Diagram, Think Before Coding

Many developers glance at a requirement or design and immediately start coding, only to encounter problems that cause rework.

If this sounds familiar, spend time when you first see the design to think and sketch. Identify reusable components, consider how to organize the interface, and map data flow before writing code.

I even conducted an experiment: I set aside every afternoon after 5 pm for learning. To balance business tasks with this plan, I first outline the interface, data flow, and implementation details before coding. This preparation can halve coding time, provided you stay focused before 5 pm. Always ask why you’re doing something.

List Your Todo

Typically, plan the upcoming work week over the weekend, breaking tasks into small items. Prioritize high‑priority tasks first, and tackle simpler tasks next to boost a sense of achievement.

Reflection

At the end of each week, reflect on the past week’s work to identify improvements for the next iteration.

Essential Skills for Efficient Work (My View)

Create a task list and categorize tasks

To ensure normal and efficient work, split tasks into multiple parts, classify them by priority and type, and maintain a TodoList.

Batch process tasks during focused time blocks

Handling tasks in dedicated time slots improves time utilization. Scattered handling leads to wasted effort and disrupted plans.

Maintain a good sleep schedule (ensure sufficient sleep)

Adopt a cyclical schedule: spend a short, focused period on most work, allowing flexibility and preventing burnout. Examples include planning the next week on weekends, avoiding late‑night overtime, and setting a daily 30‑minute learning slot.

Exercise to keep the body energetic

Good health is the foundation for sustained energy and learning.

Reference: “How to Learn Efficiently” (https://juejin.im/post/5b55591d6fb9a04f951d1c10) – a summary of methods I adapted for personal time management.