When it comes to productivity in coding, we often chase complex solutions. Pomodoro techniques, time-blocking, focus apps - you name it. But sometimes the biggest impact comes from the smallest changes.

Here’s one simple rule that transformed my productivity: decide how many actual work hours you want to achieve each day, then ruthlessly track only your genuine work time.

The key? Pause your timer every single time you walk away from your desk, check your phone, or faff about on social media. Only count the minutes you’re properly focused on work.

Source: Pomofocus

So, for example:

• Checked messages on your phone? Pause timer first.
• Checked your email? Pause.
• Checked your social media? Pause
• Went to the bathroom? Pause.
• Getting a quick bite? Pause
• Brewed a coffee? Pause.
• Aimlessly looking through the window? Pause.

It’s brutal at first - you might discover you’re only doing 2-3 hours of real work in what feels like an 8-hour day. But this brutal honesty is exactly what makes it work. No more kidding yourself about productivity. Just pure, distraction-free focus time.

Try it for a week. Set a modest daily target (say, 4 hours of actual work), and track religiously. You might be surprised at how this tiny change can transform your output.

Now, a note about different types of coding work. Not all tasks require the same approach. Sometimes, deep thinking, planning, or research is necessary. In those cases, I may loosen this rule but still define my expected time investment and goals beforehand. That’s a topic for another post.

For now, give this a try. You might find that this small shift leads to big results.

Happy building!