5 good work habits that will set you apart
It is November 21st. The yearend is approaching fast. It’s the time when everyone is publishing lists. Trends for the future, top ten things to watch out and so on. I am going to take this opportunity and make a list of top five habits that have helped me over the years.
- Build a framework of concepts in your head: The principles of computing are always applicable, so whatever language / framework / technology you use – they will always deal with the principles. There would be differences in syntax or implementation details. If you learn to correlate the principles from one language to another – it becomes easier to learn new ones.
- Do not think about implementation details when you are designing. Design to fulfil the requirements. The implementation details should come later. There could be limitations to implementation but the design should not have limitations.
- Learn to read code – Reading code is the most important skill one could have. It helps in all manners. It teaches you to how to write and how not to write code. It helps you debug the problem. It makes you a better reviewer – the list can go on.
- Appreciate and strive to write elegant code – I think that as any craftsman takes pride in their handiwork – we as programmers take pride in the elegance of our code.
- Comment and Document – You will forget why you took certain decision, or how to configure given system, so always document it where it can be searched quickly. Build a system to remember.
What is your list of habits?
