My typical workday in 2022

I have been working full-time as a software engineer since July 2019. And over the 2.75 years that I've been working, there has been a major shift in the way I work - how I start my day, how I go through my tasks, how I try and keep everything under control (to the best of my ability).

In this blog post, I will try and dive deep into all this and the tools and processes that I've adopted along the way.

Starting my day

I start my day at around 9:30 AM and the first thing I do is write down the things that I'm planning to do that day. I use a physical notebook to do this each day and cross things off as I complete them. This is what it looks like: (don't mind the extremely bad handwriting)

I've tried using various to-do list apps for this, but nothing comes close to the satisfaction of physically crossing things off with your pen!

If something doesn't get completed, I cross them off regardless and move them over to the next day. Again, the satisfaction of crossing them off is unparalleled.

Getting the work done

When I'm writing down the tasks, I have a mental picture of how urgent each task is. So I try to list them down based on urgency. I, then, try and figure out how long each one is going to take. This is where I use the Pomodoro technique.

To explain briefly, according to the Pomodoro technique, humans are most productive in 25-min intervals (and separated by short breaks). The technique suggests each task be measured in the number of pomodoros - for example, if a task is estimated to take 1 hr to complete, that translates to ~ 2.5 pomodoros.

Based on the estimations, I use this free online app pomofocus.io. The app provides a 25 min. timer along with the ability to add tasks and the estimated pomodoros for each task.

I then copy over the tasks that I have planned for the day and track them with the help of this app.

Scheduling Everything

The number of meetings has rocketed after adopting remote work and it is paramount to prioritize and schedule all possible meetings well in advance. Making it a point to schedule meetings in your calendar gives me an accurate representation of how the day is spread out and how to prioritize tasks planned for the day.

This also applies to emails. If an email comes in and it is not urgent (which is usually the case), I snooze it till I'm ready to actively work on it. This removes it from the Unread section and the email now only shows up at the time I set for it to arrive again. This eliminates the mental burden of seeing the Unread section pile up and helps me in maintaining a clear head.

Taking a break

Taking breaks has been key to not exhausting myself mentally by the end of the day. Following the Pomodoro technique helps in this aspect too. After each Pomodoro, there is a 5 min break, and after 4 consecutive pomodoros, there is a longer 20 min break.

I set myself a goal of completing 10 pomodoros a day. Normally, all my planned work gets completed within this period. Now any unplanned work can be taken up in the time remaining.

Other than this, I also take a 1-hour lunch break and a half-hour coffee break. I've purposely kept this a bit exaggerated to allow for some family time and to binge on something on YouTube/Netflix. A 20 min episode of The Office never fails to bring my energy levels up! :)

Winding down

I try to consciously wind up work by 7 pm. My desk has space for only one computer, so after 7 pm, I switch my work laptop with my personal laptop.

This physical act of taking my work laptop off the table helps me mentally disconnect from anything work-related and focus on other things for the remainder of the night. I've been doing this for almost a year now and it's amazing how this has helped reduce stress and unnecessary worrying about pending work.

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