As is the case, business can be cyclic. This includes our schedule release around the company.

Over the next 14 days we have two major release, and one major relaunch. Which means my time is soaked up running around getting all them ducks in a row.

But to make up for this being a wasted post - lets talk about focus

As someone who has worn the programmer, writer, and manager hat many a times, each one requires a different state of mind.

And while environment is very important, so is your state of mind. I have found myself to work better in the mornings (ie I start working at 7 am). When I was in university, my day started around 2pm and usually ended at 7 am (class was a complete after-thought). It took me a while to realize that when it comes to using my brain in a powerful way - I like waking up when everything around me is waking up. Our dogs wake up. The birds are outside chirping. It feels right to me.

But of course - you are your own person.

Other factors come in too. While people talk about not interrupting programmers, it is even worse when you are trying to strategize/outline (ie manage). When it came to programming, my biggest qualm was time. I needed at least two hours of solid ‘programming-time’. In between I could get interrupted, and not lose my flow. Often times I message someone for help. I have found programming so exhausting that a little break here and there is good. But when it comes to managing something and outlining how you want it to work - interruption is deadly. The operations of a website don’t just come to you - they have to be carefully planned, looking over every detail. And a single interruption can break that flow of details in your head.

Still - you are your own person.

Phones - I hate them. More than anything else it is because I don’t have a log to look over (when I forget a detail). We setup our own jabber client so that we could talk to each other at all times without having to worry about interruptions from friends or family. I do type fast - I actually took a typing class in higschool where they taught us to type on typewriters. I type fast. Even for someone tech-oriented. I blow a keyboard roughly once a year - by the time I am done the letters are worn off, the keyboard’s little stands on the back are broken, and a few keys might not even respond properly. I’ve used my current keyboard (Microsoft ergonomic) for roughly 6 months, and the letters E R I K L M N V B C S D G ENTER HOME END are all gone. As are the four arrow keys. But text can be incredibly frustrating when trying to convey meaning. Tonality is such a key element of conversation that I end up using emoticons to make sure the meaning comes across right. And phone calls can be great for focusing on one topic.

As always - you are your own person.

So - while people always have great tips on how to be more productive, on how to focus, etc - try various things yourself. Try out different things - you may learn things about yourself you never knew (if you told me five-years ago that I am a morning person, I woulda scoffed).