How to make it not all or startup as training on time management

it All began in 2009. I worked in a large company that develops software. Our team have been performing quite a large project. My responsibilities were quite blurred. While my supervisor was to ensure the execution of the project with external parties (he communicated with management, managers, etc.), I was involved in the decision of internal problems of the project – design, plans, set tasks to developers, tracking the direction, etc. Shortly before the described events, the company changed its management, was very noticeable reorganization, the course of development of the company as a whole (and the draft in particular) are considerably shifted compared to the initial plan. And I couldn't say that a new direction is fine by me.

The year came to an end. The present was predictable and rather dull, we offer new leadership, the future looked vague and not credible. At this time a good friend suggested: "let's do something different!".

I'm not going to tell you about what we did, how we did, etc. I want to tell you how I have changed, participating in a startup. Through what are the lessons went, what I was able to learn. Hope, full of bumps and acquired experience will be someone useful or at least interesting.

Instead of an epigraph.
Jew comes to the Rabbi and says:
— The Rebbe, help me! so my life is hard, at least in the loop...
— Tell me where it hurts you?
— I have a big family and we all live in a Studio apartment, mother is seriously ill, the wife is walking, the son contacted the hooligans, the daughter got pregnant from anybody, I got fired from work... What do I do?
— Buy a goat.
— ??
— Buy a goat and come back in a week.

A week has passed. Again, the Jew comes to the Rabbi:
— Rabbi, how so? why I listened and bought the goat? Life has become unbearable, in addition now, everywhere stink and dirt!!! What do I do?!
— Sell the goat and the day come to me.

Through the day completely happy Jew resorts to the Rabbi:
I sold the goat! Now I know what happiness is!!!
Popular wisdom.

Part 1. What was

At the beginning of this story, I have practiced some techniques of time management. Read the book of Gleb Arkhangelsk, a certain number of articles on this topic. Imbued with the idea of personal time management, and with reasonable energy used some of the techniques gleaned from books. Actively used electronic organizer for control of the working routine and even some housework. As a result, quite a lot of time to do at work, I try to avoid jobs involving all hands and the accumulation of unfinished business. I was considered a good specialist who has successfully performed work on the current project and even had time to do anything else. For example, once a year, wrote some sort of article (usually in co-authorship ;-) ). Also, once a week, read half a lecture to students. At home I was waited by the pregnant wife, small child and dog. In the subway (on the way to office and back) was reading fiction.

Established the rhythm of work I was quite happy, I was almost all happy. In particular, personal performance seemed sufficient. So I decided I could cope with additional load, which was assumed by participation in new activities.

Part 2. What became of

Since then, it took almost two years. I became a little less new, and the amount of gray hair in my beard has reached four. What else has changed?

I am currently in the leading roles are involved in two large projects and one small. And another as a consultant. Classes with students lasts two and a half hours. Lecture such duration – employment is almost unbearable for the students and for the lecturer, so the second half of classes I took under practical training. We students decided to try for the semester with your hands to make a small and simple information system. It turns out that I am involved in another project – i.e. a total is already four.
Over the past six months I have published 5 relevant articles in the electronic journal for developers. Wrote more than two dozen posts in your blog, devoted to applied aspects of development. Every day I read articles on professional topics, participate in forums. I put in order many bits of information that were full head, pulled a theoretical basis for a practical experience.

Summary: my professional growth over the past two years comparable to the previous ten. But actual working hours are greatly reduced, since increased number of home Affairs: three to five times a week I take an older child to different classes, not counting any force majeure (children, you know, often suffer  ).

As you can see, there is a big increase in performance. Due to what managed to achieve this?

Part 3. As it was

It all started quite rosy. We came up with the idea, figured out how everything should look and energy has embarked on. The first six months I was engaged in this project without interruption from work. Worked mostly evenings, sometimes taking time in the office. When the product is more or less drawn, I realized that is no longer able to fit in the head of the two projects, they both demanded that I get a lot of attention. I made a hard decision: to leave the main place of work and be completely immersed in a new project. Some time took preparation of this decision – I didn't want to leave the ruins. Gradually, I stopped to play a key role in the first draft and almost with a clear conscience, wrote a letter of resignation. While I managed to keep their work places, so care was, to some extent, a formality – I was sitting in the same room at the same computer. It happened in the autumn of 2010.

Autumn – the beginning of the school year. The eldest child went to kindergarten and began bringing out all kinds of germs, which we gladly sick the youngest – he's only gone six months. Often had to stay home until lunch, and even stay for the whole day, as the wife just physically could not cope with two polubolnogo blockheads. But still there were two of us, so sometimes I could work on the project, even when at home. In order not to lose time in vain, I organized the workplace on a home computer. However, a significant effect is not given, surprisingly a lot of time took away the need to synchronize the environment at work and home computers. Then I got a laptop and since it is my main work space, which I always carry. With this solution, I could anywhere continue to work with the place where they stopped. This allowed us to keep performance on decent level with no lag from the schedule, even staying at home.

Then the universe decided to throw me entertainment. First, the eldest child broke his collarbone. By ambulance he was taken to the hospital and I went with him. In the hospital we stayed only till morning, but it was enough that he caught some terrible illness...
The next few months, I remember vaguely. Pop up frames of the next "entertainments": on new year's younger was shouted in the cold to monstrous sore throat, on February 23 I was in a small accident which cost me a lot of nerves and almost all savings, APR memorable viral pneumonia in older. Problems rained down one after another. To the office I got once in two weeks. Had to work in fits and starts, communication with colleagues was mostly through the Internet.

And by the end of may we made the first version of the program. Behind the original plan was only a month.

This period for me was incredibly heavy. But these difficulties have taught me to focus on the task and perform the work, using any opportunity. For example, putting a baby to sleep, think about the structure of regular functions. Once he's asleep trot to run to the computer to record the results. After 10 minutes of running to calm down, then to the store for bread, and back to the computer. I used each of the arisen pause, even for a few minutes, at least a little to move forward. Further, as the return of life to normal, I was able to devote "popping up" time on other things – reading books, writing articles, and other projects.

Opinion

In conclusion, I want to summarize and slightly generalize the experience. I have made some conclusions and try to follow them.

Conclusion 1. To increase performance you need a reason.

I hope that neither one had the feeling that it is necessary to call his ... the head as it immediately leads to striking increases in productivity. Here is another very important component is a sincere desire for the result, which, combined with the poor speed of approach of result, inadvertently lead to systemic changes in the environment. Simply put – if a person are satisfied, then it is unlikely he will move and try to do better and to do more.

Conclusion 2. In order to get business done, you need to do and not to talk about why it is difficult or impossible.

Also quite meaningless arguments about how to do it, with no action. I'm not saying that to "cut" without hesitation. I just want to say that thinking must be focused on results, not artistic painting on the water with household items.

Conclusion 3. All the time is impossible.

It is important not to worry about the fact that not uspevaete. Better to focus on dealing with the consequences of not uspevaya. Hence, simple consequence – again it is better to not do those things that bring to a higher purpose, and those that promise the maximum problems, if they are not done at the time. Because these problems will continue to catch you valuable resource of time, which is better quietly to spend on a lofty goal.
And a small addition: if You have time everything planned, it's likely You can do more.

That's all.

Questions?

Article based on information from habrahabr.ru