There are times while I’m trying to grind out code for a project that I’m not exactly excited about and I need some inspiration to kick me back into gear and pursue the finish line. I’ve found several sources for inspiration while I’m working. Some of these aren’t exactly “inspirational”, they are more therapeutic, but they can get you back on track and help boost your productivity.
Retreat into another world
This is the one I use most frequently while I’m trying to zone out the environment around me, listen to a good Sci-Fi/Fantasy audio book. I have an Audible subscription which allows me to get two books a month. Sometime I go with something more action/thriller oriented, but most of the time I’ve found that being about to retreat into another world through an auditory entertainment source allows me to focus on the problems at hand without getting tired of working on the boring parts of the project. I only listen while I’m coding and never while I have to focus completely on solving an architecture problem or troubleshooting a difficult bug. If I need to isolate myself during those times I still put my headphones on, but I put on music that helps drown out the noise around me.
I’m hardly ever distracted visually, so I don’t have any advice for people that need to drown out the visual stimulations.
Seek out a quick mental puzzle
Is your brain getting worn out by the lack of stimulation due to the dullness of the task at hand? Then take a quick break to solve a puzzle. For example, play a quick game of Sudoku or find a logic puzzle to wiz through quickly.
Read a short news article
Sometimes it helps me to take a “world” break and seek out relevant and current news. Do not go to websites that you regularly waste time on. I have to stay away from the blogs and geek sites I regularly check or it will become a time sink. Take a quick look at CNN.com or Google’s News feed. Don’t spend more than 5-8 minutes doing this, and do not seek out articles that will get you emotionally riled up, or it will just become a counter-productive action.
Go get a snack and a drink
It’s difficult to work on stuff you don’t want to do when you’re stomach is empty, and you become less productive when your blood sugar levels begin to drop. Seek out a healthy snack. If it’s something that you can eat while you continue to work, then it’s even better. Just remember to use portion control.
Look at programmatically exciting projects
One of the things that always revs me up for programming even the dullest of tasks is the demo scene. Sometime I’ll seek out an old favorite or look at a new demo recently released. Need a good resource? Check out http://scene.org/
One of my favorites from 2005 is 195/95 Plastic: Click Here
Take a break and catch up on email
At work I receive thousands of emails a day. Most of the day, if I’m going to get any work done, I have to ignore my email. I’ll check it every hour to hour and a half. If I’m feeling a like worn out and it looks like my productivity is dragging then I catch up on the “Chatter” email. In my office we have a Chatter distribution list, which is used for all mass communications that aren’t specifically related to work. This can include everything from a funny picture to the weekly Youtube video. Sometimes it even includes free food announcements.
If your office doesn’t already have some form of a chatter list, then setup rules in your email to separate the topics most important to you and your work from the others, this way you can stay on top of your work without being drawn out of the zone by unrelated and unnecessary communications.
Get up and stretch
You might be surprised how much the simple act of getting up and really stretching will help clear your mind and help you focus. I have to do this three or four times a day or my back will begin to bother me and it will cause headaches.
Do real stretches, don’t just get up and swing your arms around some.
Fix some coffee or tea
I often times will go fix a cup of hot tea in order to clear my mind, and the caffeine can help you focus as well. Just don’t hype yourself up on too much caffeine. The brief break to fix your cup of coffee or tea will usually be enough to at least relax a little bit and then the drink can continue to enrich your work experience while you trudge through the slog.
Some resources
http://www.dotnetzen.net/ – This site of course!
http://www.flipcode.com – An old development community that has shutdown, but the archive is still available.
http://www.codeproject.com – Check out the info on the home page and new projects
http://channel9.msdn.com – See what is happening around MS’s development community
http://www.codeguru.com – Another tutorial site
http://www.msdn.com/coding4fun – Meant to be a fun site for beginners and kids, but it still is fun for everyone else.
http://www.gamasutra.com/ – Mostly gaming news, but they also cover development stuff