This 15-Minute Evening Hack Made Me a 10x Developer
My Evening Framework for Constant Leveling Up
Remember that morning sequence I talked about in my last article? That ritual to kick-start your day right? Well, turns out what you do at the end of your day matters just as much.
Let's talk about the evening review - a 10-15 minute reflection that can seriously upgrade your decision-making, quality of life, and how you handle all the crap that gets thrown your way daily.
Achievement Recognition: Give Yourself Some Damn Credit
First things first - what did you actually get done today?
Maybe you crushed that bug that's been driving everyone crazy for a week. Maybe you finally understood that weird authentication flow. Or maybe you just survived a day of back-to-back meetings without throwing your laptop out the window. That counts too!
The point is to acknowledge your wins - big or small. Life's a marathon, not a sprint. You won't make massive progress every single day, but as long as you're not actively going backwards, you're good. Use this time to celebrate the little victories.
Technical Review: Did You Actually Write Good Code?
Let's be real - sometimes when we're in the zone, we write some questionable code. It happens to all of us.
Take a few minutes to look back at your technical decisions. Did you follow good practices or did you take shortcuts that future-you will hate? I can't count how many times I've been so focused on making something work that I completely lost sight of making it work well.
Ask yourself: "If another dev had to pick up this code tomorrow, would they curse my name?" If yes, maybe note what you could do better next time.
Interaction Assessment: Were You a Jerk Today?
Coding isn't just about code - it's about people too.
How were your communications today? Did you shut down that junior dev who asked "stupid questions"? Did you get defensive when someone pointed out issues in your PR? Or did you miss a chance to ask for help when you were stuck for hours?
Be honest with yourself. Sometimes I realize I could have explained something more clearly or been more patient with stakeholders who don't understand why "just adding one small feature" isn't actually small.
Focus Evaluation: Where Did Your Time Actually Go?
When were you in the zone today? When did you feel like your brain was made of mush?
Track what distracts you. For me, it's usually Slack notifications or that one coworker who always wants to "just bounce something off you real quick" (which is never quick). Figure out your productivity patterns and protect your focus time like it's your most precious asset - because it is.
Prep for Tomorrow: Set Future-You Up for Success
What's the one thing that absolutely needs to get done tomorrow? What meetings can you actually contribute to? Is there anything you need to prepare in advance?
This is where the cycle connects - your evening review feeds directly into tomorrow's morning ritual. It's like passing the baton to future-you, but with a useful note attached.
Quick, Not Perfect
Look, this isn't about spending hours journaling about your feelings. It's 10-15 minutes tops - hell, even 5 minutes is better than nothing. The point is to create that mental boundary between work and the rest of your life while setting yourself up for continuous improvement.
Do this consistently, and you'll start noticing patterns. You'll catch yourself before making the same mistakes. You'll get better at estimating how long things really take. And most importantly, you'll actually grow as a developer and a human being, instead of just grinding through the same day over and over again.
Quote of the Day:
"Every night before going to sleep, we must ask ourselves: what weakness did I overcome today? What virtue did I acquire?" — Seneca
👉 If you enjoy reading this post, feel free to share it with friends!
Or feel free to click the ❤️ button on this post so more people can discover it on Substack 🙏
You can find me on X and LinkedIn.
Excellent article, Michael 👌🏻
I