From 996 to Efficient Work: A Programmer's Focus Transformation Journey
Last October, I almost got laid off.
Not because I lacked technical skills — I have 8 years of Java development experience, and my architecture design is solid. The problem was I could never finish tasks on time. I'd arrive at the office at 9 AM and leave at 11 PM, but my truly productive work time was probably less than 3 hours.
The day my boss talked to me, I remember it clearly: "You work hard, but your efficiency is too low."
That night on the subway, I came across an article about the Stroop effect. The author said attention is like a muscle — it can be trained. I thought, might as well try anything at this point.
What Was My Problem?
Later I realized I wasn't lazy — my attention was out of control.
A typical day went like this: Open the IDE to write code, see a message on DingTalk, click to reply. After replying, remember yesterday's bug still needs checking, open JIRA. Halfway through reading, the product manager comes to ask about requirements. After chatting, it's already 11 AM, and I haven't written a single line of actual code.
Sound familiar?
I did an experiment, using the Pomodoro Technique to track how many times I got interrupted in a day. The result shocked me: an average interruption every 8 minutes. And research shows that after being interrupted, programmers need an average of 23 minutes to get back into the flow state.
No wonder I never finished anything — I never truly "started."
An Unexpected Discovery
Just to try it, I started doing 10 minutes of Stroop testing every morning.
The first test, my reaction time was 1.8 seconds with a 22% error rate. The website showed this was "severely scattered attention" level. Honestly, it was a blow.
But after sticking with it for a week, something magical happened.
That Friday, I needed to fix a complex concurrency bug. Previously, this kind of problem would take at least two days, and I'd often fix one thing only to break another. But that day, I wrote code for three hours straight without checking my phone once. By 4 PM, the bug was fixed and all tests passed.
My colleague Xiao Zhang said: "Qiang-ge, you're in good form today."
I couldn't believe it myself.
Three-Month Transformation Plan
Encouraged, I developed a systematic training plan. Not the "21 days to change your life" kind of motivational fluff, but methods based on cognitive science.
Month One: Building Foundation
Every morning at 8:30, I'd do 5 minutes of Stroop testing at my desk. At first, colleagues thought I was crazy, staring at a screen saying "red, blue, green."
But the effect was obvious. The first week, my average reaction time dropped from 1.8 to 1.5 seconds. More importantly, I found that the 1-2 hours after the test were my most focused hours of the day.
So I adjusted my work schedule, putting the hardest tasks between 9 and 11 AM. During this time, I'd turn off all notifications and put my phone in airplane mode.
Once the product manager came looking for me at 10 AM, saw me wearing noise-canceling headphones writing code, and quietly walked away. Later she said: "You looked so focused, I didn't want to disturb you."
Month Two: Upgrading Training
Just doing Stroop tests wasn't enough. I started trying "cognitive load training."
What does that mean? Deliberately working in distracting environments. For example, I'd write code in a coffee shop or do code reviews with music playing. It was painful at first, but gradually I found my resistance to distractions strengthened.
One Wednesday afternoon, the team next door was having a heated technical discussion, very loud. The old me definitely couldn't have written code, but that day I actually finished the entire payment module and even refactored some previously messy code.
I also discovered a technique: using different programming languages for different types of tasks. Java for business logic, Python for data processing, Go for concurrency. This switching itself is a kind of cognitive training, keeping the brain flexible.
Month Three: Forming a System
By this point, my Stroop test scores stabilized around 0.9 seconds with error rates below 5%. But the bigger gain was finding my own work rhythm.
I divided my day into four time blocks:
Morning 9-11: Deep work, writing core code Late morning 11-12: Handling emails and messages Afternoon 2-4: Code reviews and pair programming Afternoon 4-6: Learning new tech or writing docs
Between each time block, I'd do 2 minutes of "cognitive reset" — maybe a few Stroop problems or simple meditation.
Most amazing was I no longer needed to work overtime. Features that used to require all-nighters I could now finish by afternoon.
Some Practical Tips
Over these three months, I summarized some programmer-specific attention techniques:
Dual Monitor Method: Main screen for writing code, secondary screen only for docs. Never open chat software on the secondary screen. This reduces distraction by at least 50%.
Compile Time Training: While code is compiling, don't scroll your phone — do 10 Stroop test problems. Neither wastes time nor breaks focus.
Debug Focus Method: Before debugging, take 30 seconds of deep breaths, then write down the problem description in one go. This helps clarify thinking and avoid random changes.
Review Interval Reset: Code reviews consume attention. After reviewing each PR, stand up and walk for 2 minutes or look out the window. The brain needs these brief moments of zoning out.
Unexpected Gains
Improved focus brought more than just work efficiency.
I started having time to exercise. Leave at 6 PM every day, go to the company gym downstairs to run. Lost 8 kg in three months, mental state so much better than before.
I resumed writing technical blogs. Used to always say no time, now I can write 1-2 posts per week. Last month's Golang concurrency article even made the Juejin hotlist.
Most importantly, I rediscovered the joy of coding. When you can focus on solving problems, that flow state feeling is truly addictive.
Last Friday, I refactored the entire authentication module in one go, reducing code by 40% and improving performance 3x. The CTO said in code review: "This is the most elegant implementation I've seen."
My Advice to You
If you have similar troubles, my advice is:
- First test your baseline level. No matter how bad, that's just the starting point.
- Start with 5 minutes daily. Don't be greedy, consistency is key.
- Find your golden hour. I'm a morning person, you might be a night owl.
- Create rituals. I brew coffee before starting deep work — it's a signal to my brain.
- Track progress. I use Excel to record daily test scores and work output. Seeing the progress curve is very fulfilling.
Three-Month Review
Yesterday marked exactly three months since I started training. I compared the data:
October (before training):
- Average daily productive work time: 2.8 hours
- Story points completed: 13
- Bug rate: 8.2%
- Overtime days: 22
January (after training):
- Average daily productive work time: 5.5 hours
- Story points completed: 31
- Bug rate: 2.1%
- Overtime days: 2
At year-end performance review, I went from C to A rating. Not only did my year-end bonus double, I got a promotion opportunity.
But for me, more important is the improvement in quality of life. I have time to watch movies with my girlfriend, can go hiking on weekends, can sleep peacefully at night instead of being anxious about tomorrow's deadline.
Turns out, the secret to efficient work isn't working harder, but focusing better.
Final Thoughts
Last month, that boss who said my efficiency was low talked to me again. This time he said: "Can you share your method with the team?"
I smiled. Three months ago I almost got laid off, now I'm an efficiency role model.
Change really isn't that hard. You don't need some magical method, just scientific training plus a bit of persistence.
If you want to try too, you can start with this Stroop test. Remember, how bad you are now doesn't matter. What matters is how strong you'll be in three months.
Just like code needs constant refactoring, our brains need continuous optimization. The only difference is whether you're willing to start.
By the way, today is Friday. I'm going to the gym at 6. You? Still working overtime?