25 Tips for New Developers: Advice from a (Mostly) Self-Taught Software Engineer

Concentration

I am someone who works best without interruption and with long blocks of time. I don't do well with random 15-minute slots to work, rather I'd prefer to have one long afternoon to work. I used to do all of my blogging from the same restaurant in DC, Busboys and Poets. I'd go there every Sunday afternoon and crank out a post. Having that routine and that long block of time was perfect for me.
I also work best in the afternoon as compared to mornings or nights, though in college, late nights were my everything. I usually do side work immediately after my normal workday ends and on weekend afternoons. Everyone is going to be so different with this -- experiment and find times that work best for you!
I know that the Pomodoro technique works really well for some people, but I work best in long focused blocks. I tend to follow the Flowtime Technique instead. I take breaks when I need to or when I finish a task, but frequent breaks aren't helpful for me, nor do I need them.
Sometimes, I have a tendency to get distracted. Especially by social media and the internet more generally. During times like that, I'll use the SelfControl app to avoid distracting sites. Sometimes I'll even shut off the internet in my apartment if I really want to get some writing done.

Batching

One additional productivity system I find super helpful is batching. Batching is when you do a bunch of similar activities at once. So, for example, when I did Instagram I would write all my captions for the month at one time, and I'd pre-create graphics and find images. Or when I'm filming videos, I'll do multiple at once. When you're in one headspace it can be optimal to keep doing similar tasks instead of changing your focus to something else. Amy Porterfield has some excellent content on why batching is so great.