The so called "Visionary Mode"

It's very typical of a software engineer (especially a developer) to get in "Visionary Mode." In visionary mode, developers begin exploring the vastness of their ideas. Usually, this is accompanied with a sense of euphoria. It is very rewarding to build imaginary features in your head. An argument can be made that this mostly mental exercise is needful in nature after all programming is about creating things out of thin air. Most pleasure to programmers use this mode as their source of creativity and inspiration. Let's settle on one thing: the visionary mode has its perks.

But as someone who has been coding for more than a decade now this mode has also crippled my ability to be consistently productive because to be productive, one needs to be focussed on the task at hand. And unfortunately, visionary mode distracts you into building sandcastles in your head. Being imaginative can be boonful but not if you can't finish your work in its entirety.MDXLayout

Focus is a limited resource, much like a battery that depletes with use and requires careful management. Daydreaming, while often a source of creativity, can drain this resource significantly by offering quick and effortless dopamine hits. Unlike the immediate pleasure derived from daydreaming, real work is inherently slow, painful, and challenging. It demands sustained effort and often feels unrewarding in the moment. However, the true gratification of hard work is often realized only in retrospect, when the fruits of labor become apparent and the sense of accomplishment sets in. Balancing the allure of daydreaming with the discipline of focused work is crucial for long-term productivity and success.

The visionary mode often leads to the creation of numerous graveyard projects—those exciting ideas that spring up in a burst of enthusiasm but are quickly abandoned once the initial novelty fades. Developers are driven by the thrill of new possibilities and the immediate gratification of imagining groundbreaking features. However, when faced with the slow, painful, and arduous reality of actual implementation, the excitement wanes. As the dopamine hits diminish, the focus shifts to newer, more thrilling ideas, leaving behind a trail of incomplete and discarded projects. This cycle of starting and abandoning projects can hamper long-term productivity and the realization of genuinely impactful work, as the visionary mode often prioritizes novelty over persistence and completion.

While it's important not to reject the visionary mode altogether, as it can be a wellspring of creativity and innovation, being more thoughtful and selective about when and how we indulge in daydreaming is crucial. One effective strategy is to defer most of this visionary thinking to the end of the day, once the critical tasks have been completed. This ensures that the primary focus remains on delivering tangible business goals, which are essential for progress and success. By prioritizing critical work during peak productive hours and reserving the visionary mode for later, we can harness the benefits of both structured productivity and creative exploration. This balance helps in maintaining a steady workflow, avoiding the pitfalls of numerous unfinished projects, and ensuring that our imaginative ideas have a solid foundation and purpose aligned with business objectives.