Steven Monell
Reader Steven Monell sends this somewhat different tip that developers can use just to keep their heads on straight as they confront multiple concurrent running projects, all of them, of course, TOP PRIORITY.
When you are a Developer/Integrator/Tester it becomes quite clear that trying to maintain cohesive thoughts and notes can easily become overwhelming.
In the last year I have added this technique into my planning skills.
First, pick up composition books in different colors. You can think of these as old style notepads. We used them as kids years ago, remember?
Then:
1. Isolate project notes specifically to a color-coded book.
2. Make your notes bullet points (Clear, concise, and to the point).
3. Check off or use a Highlighter as you finish the tasks you have bulleted.
4. Post a task-completion date next to the bullet points.
I have used daily planners for years and now am an avid user of PDA's. Still, I find that the old tried-and-true notebooks make tracking projects extremely simple. And upon completion of the project I can go back and look to see where events could have been handled better for future projects.
I hope this tip can benefit other programmers as much as it has helped me.
Thanks, Steven. To show our appreciation for your submission, we will be sending you a SearchVB denim shirt.
Steven Monell is a Sr.
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Technical Consultant for Boricua Technical
Services, located in Northern Virginia.This was first published in October 2000