The Art of Agile Development, 2nd Edition

Energized Work

AUDIENCE

Coaches, Whole Team

We work at a pace that allows us to do our best, most productive work indefinitely.

I love my work. I enjoy solving problems, writing good code, watching tests pass, and I especially love removing code while refactoring.

But if I’m on a team with unclear goals, little collective responsibility, and infighting, I’ll wake up dreading going into work. I’ll put in my hours at the office, but I’ll be tempted to spend my mornings reading email and my afternoons picking at code while surfing through marginally related websites.

We’ve all been in this situation. Because we’re professionals, we strive to produce quality work even when we feel demoralized. Still, consider the times of greatest productivity in your career. Do you notice a big difference when you wake up and feel eager to start work? Isn’t it much more satisfying to stop on time at the end of the day, knowing that you accomplished something solid and useful?

Energized work is about recognizing that although professionals can do good work under difficult circumstances, they do their best, most productive work when they’re energized and motivated.

How to Be Energized

One of the simplest ways to be energized is to take care of yourself. Go home on time every day. Take your mind off work and spend time with family and friends. Eat healthy foods, exercise, and get plenty of sleep. When you’re busy with these other things, your brain will turn over the events of the day. You’ll often ...