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I try to keep my productivity improvements secret, because any time I announce one -- especially if I also explain why it happened -- I immediately falsify whatever I just said by losing all focus and producing nothing of interest for a while.


This resonates deeply. It has to feel like a secret to me.


So, can you tell us your secret? :)


Not sure, but here are candidates.

Staying healthy.

Documentation, journaling, meditation, reviewing -- they're all different aspect of the same, uh, something.

Thinking and writing a plan before doing anything complicated. Sensing when something might be complicated.

Trusting the right people with the right tasks.

Trading money for time.

Picking my battles well.

Finding prior art.

Knowing when to learn a better way (tool, language).

Knowing when to automate.

Lacking creativity when it comes to leisure.




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