Using Atomic Habits to become a better software developer ⚛️
I’m always working on becoming a better software developer by building new positive habits and breaking negative ones. I’ve noticed that even small tweaks in my daily routine can lead to significant growth over time, especially when it comes to staying motivated and consistently improving my coding skills.
A while back, I read (well, listened to) Atomic Habits by James Clear, and it was incredibly helpful! ⚛️
If you haven’t checked it out, I highly recommend giving it a read or listen to gain insights into how tiny changes can compound into massive results.
Below are 4 key takeaways I’ve applied in my software development journey. Hopefully, these ideas help you too:
1. Make It Obvious, Make It Easy (Remove Friction)
Remove the points of friction in your environment that prevent you from doing the good habits that contribute to improving in software development. By removing friction, it becomes easier to do the right thing, and you’ll find yourself doing it more often.
- Example: When you finish working on some code or learning for the day, quickly outline the key tasks or learning goals for the next day. This way, you can jump right in without wondering what to tackle first and avoid analysis paralysis.
- Example: Keep frequently used development tools easily accessible (pinned on your taskbar, bookmarked in your browser, or saved in an organized folder) so you don’t waste time searching for them.
- Example: Some evenings I hop in bed and find it hard to get up and go to the office to code. So I started to keep my laptop bedside so that I can work there, too, if needed. Remove friction.
A bonus tip here: if you constantly find yourself stuck when learning new frameworks, consider bookmarking a go-to resource like Stack Overflow or your favorite documentation site. Eliminating those extra clicks can make a surprisingly big difference in staying on track and motivated.
2. Make Tiny Habits
Rather than always trying to make large improvements (and feeling discouraged when I fall short), I focus on making small improvements daily. Over time, these small, “atomic” actions add up and offer daily satisfaction.
- Example: I have a “never miss twice” policy for my personal projects. If I skip a code commit one day, I make sure to commit something the next day—even if it’s just a small fix or a minor documentation improvement. This ensures consistent progress and helps me maintain momentum.
- Example: I set up an automated reminder on my phone to make sure I learn at least one new programming concept or tackle one coding challenge every day. Even if it’s quick (like 10 minutes on LeetCode or HackerRank), I try not to miss. Daily, tiny gains compound over time to produce noticeable skill improvements.
By lowering the barrier of entry to a very small habit, it feels more manageable, and you’re more likely to stick with it for the long haul.
3. Stack Your Habits
Habit stacking is all about pairing things you want to do with things you have to do. By tying less-enjoyable tasks to something else that’s already part of your routine, you increase the chances of doing both consistently.
- Example: Listen to an educational programming video on YouTube every time you shower or while prepping your morning coffee. This makes learning a built-in part of your day.
- Example: Each time you’re about to take a scheduled break, spend five minutes reviewing a new design pattern or technology overview. That way, your coffee break doubles as a quick learning session.
If you turn these stacked habits into routines—like “after I brush my teeth, I’ll review one coding concept”—they become less reliant on willpower and more about automatic follow-through.
4. Make Your Habits Satisfying
Tying a reward to a good habit increases motivation and makes it more likely you’ll continue. Rewards can be small but should be meaningful enough to keep you going.
- Example: Share a quick update or insight with your team whenever you complete a coding milestone. Public recognition can be a big motivator.
- Example: Track your daily contributions (e.g., commit streaks, code reviews) and celebrate small wins—whether that’s checking off a goal on your personal Kanban board or giving yourself a quick break to appreciate how far you’ve come.
- Example: Post your GitHub daily streak progress on social media to keep yourself accountable.
- Example: Only allow yourself dessert (or a favorite snack) after finishing a development ticket or completing a successful commit.
By making the outcome of your effort visible and enjoyable, you reinforce the positive loop that encourages you to continue.
It’s not easy, and sometimes I mess up, so I’m always looking for ways to improve my processes and accountability. Atomic Habits really taught me that even the smallest, repeated actions can have profound results in the long term.
💬 Leave a comment: Got any more tips on building habits for software developers? I’d love to hear them below!
If you’re looking for more reading material, you might also check out The Pragmatic Programmer — it’s a classic for refining both your coding skills and your mindset!
Thank you for reading, and happy habit-building!
