There’s a common misconception that productive developers are the ones who type the fastest or memorize the most syntax. In reality, the developers who consistently ship quality work and never seem stressed aren’t necessarily working harder—they’re working smarter by eliminating friction from their daily routines.

Think about your own workflow for a second. How much time do you spend recreating the same boilerplate? Looking up commands you’ve run a thousand times? Switching between your editor, browser tabs, and terminal just to find that one piece of documentation? These tiny interruptions don’t feel like much in the moment, but they compound throughout the day, leaving you exhausted by 3 PM even though you feel like you haven’t accomplished much.

The developers who’ve figured this out—the ones who seem to breeze through complex projects—aren’t relying on tricks or shortcuts. They’re leaning on habits that remove these daily friction points. They reuse patterns that work. They automate the repetitive stuff. They keep their tools organized and sharp.

The good news? These aren’t secret techniques that take years to master. They’re practical habits you can start adopting today. Some will save you five minutes here and there. Others will save you hours every week. Together, they compound into a workflow that feels effortless and keeps you focused on actually solving problems instead of fighting your environment.

Here are 10 habits that will genuinely save you time every single day. Pick a couple to start with, make them stick, then add more. You don’t need to overhaul your entire workflow overnight—small improvements add up faster than you think.

1. Build and Use a Snippet Library

The Problem: Rewriting the same error handlers, validation, or logging patterns eats up time and introduces inconsistency.

The Habit: Save these patterns into a snippet library. Tag them by language (js, py) or domain (db, auth) so you can recall them instantly.

Example: 

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try:
    # ${your_code_here}
except Exception as e:
    logger.error(f"Error: {e}")
    raise

Tip: Tools like CodeMenu make searching and inserting these snippets lightning fast—without breaking flow.

2. Standardize with Templates

The Problem: Every new module or component starts with the same boilerplate. Doing it by hand is wasted effort.

The Habit: Use templates for React components, API routes, or unit tests. You’ll save setup time and keep your codebase consistent.

Example React template: 

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import React from 'react';

export default function ${ComponentName}({}) {
  return <div>${ComponentName} works!</div>;
}

Store it once → reuse it forever.

3. Automate File and Folder Creation

The Problem: Creating directories, configs, and starter files manually slows you down.

The Habit: Use CLI generators (ng generate component, rails g scaffold) or pair templates with a snippet tool.

Pro Tip: Keep your templates in CodeMenu, then paste them wherever needed—no need to memorize every CLI flag.

4. Document as You Go

The Problem: Leaving documentation for “later” often means it never happens.

The Habit: Write docstrings, inline comments, or README snippets at the same time you write code.

Example in Python: 

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def calculate_tax(amount: float) -> float:
    """
    Calculate tax for a given amount.
    Args:
        amount (float): The income or purchase amount.
    Returns:
        float: The tax due.
    """
    ...

Bonus: Save comment/docstring templates as snippets so you always follow the same structure.

5. Master Keyboard Shortcuts

The Problem: Every time you reach for the mouse, you lose momentum.

The Habit: Learn IDE, terminal, and snippet manager shortcuts. Add one new shortcut to your muscle memory each week.

Example:

  • VS Code: Cmd+Shift+P → open command palette.
  • CodeMenu: Global shortcut → instant snippet search, no window-switching.

6. Reuse Proven Solutions

The Problem: Developers often re-solve problems they’ve already cracked.

The Habit: Before coding, ask:

  1. Did I solve this before?
  2. Is there a library or snippet that covers it?

When you find a solid solution, add it to your snippet/tooling library so you never waste that effort again.

7. Keep Your Tools Organized

The Problem: A messy library (snippets, bookmarks, repos) makes tools harder to use, so you stop using them.

The Habit: Spend 10 minutes weekly organizing.

  • Tag snippets (logging, validation, db).
  • Delete duplicates.
  • Rename cryptic titles.

In CodeMenu, this takes minutes, and pays off every time you search.

8. Batch Small Tasks

The Problem: Context switching kills flow.

The Habit: Collect small tasks into a batch list. Handle them in one block instead of sprinkling them through your deep-work hours.

Example:

  • Answer 5 PR comments together.
  • Write all TODO cleanups before stand-up.
  • Update snippets at the end of the week.

9. Version Your Snippets

The Problem: Snippets evolve over time. Without versioning, teams diverge into conflicting patterns.

The Habit: Store shared snippets in Git or a snippet server. Review changes like normal code.

Tooling: Extiri’s Snippets Store (self-hostable) works well with CodeMenu, giving your team one source of truth.

10. Schedule “Productivity Maintenance”

The Problem: Your workflow gets bloated unless you prune and refine.

The Habit: Once a week, spend 15 minutes maintaining:

  • Delete unused snippets.
  • Improve one template.
  • Learn a new shortcut.
  • Clean up your workspace.

Think of it as “spring cleaning” for your dev environment.

Conclusion

Saving time as a developer comes down to habits you repeat daily:

  1. Build a snippet library
  2. Standardize with templates
  3. Automate setup
  4. Document as you go
  5. Learn shortcuts
  6. Reuse solutions
  7. Stay organized
  8. Batch tasks
  9. Version snippets
  10. Maintain weekly

👉 Start with 2 habits this week. Once they’re second nature, add more. Small improvements compound into hours saved every month.

If you’re looking for a tool to make snippets and templates painless, give CodeMenu a try—it turns many of these habits into effortless defaults.

7-day starter checklist (do one per day)

Day 1: Save three snippets you use daily into your snippet manager and tag them.

Day 2: Create one template for a common file type (React component, test file, or module).

Day 3: Add a keyboard shortcut for your snippet manager to insert snippets without leaving the editor.

Day 4: Batch three small tasks and handle them in one focused block.

Day 5: Audit your snippet library for duplicates and rename unclear items.

Day 6: Version one snippet in Git (or export your snippet tool library) so it’s tracked.

Day 7: Teach a teammate one shortcut or snippet workflow (sharing solidifies habit).

Note on tooling: the suggestions above work with many snippet tools; CodeMenu is one example that supports quick insertion and tagging—feel free to substitute your preferred tool.