Time Management Questions
by Alkor · in General Discussion · 09/14/2011 (11:53 pm) · 15 replies
Hey
I got a job at a major company as a QA Tester (since they wont accept game designers from within the company). I am almost finished on a small game (still no AI implemented and crude menu graphics) and I was wondering if anyone is in a similar situation where he works at a normal day job and at home he works on his game. I was wondering for a few tips to centralize time better so you would have time to also work on your game.
I got a job at a major company as a QA Tester (since they wont accept game designers from within the company). I am almost finished on a small game (still no AI implemented and crude menu graphics) and I was wondering if anyone is in a similar situation where he works at a normal day job and at home he works on his game. I was wondering for a few tips to centralize time better so you would have time to also work on your game.
#2
09/15/2011 (10:38 am)
Also try to stay focused on 1-3 parts at a time until they are completed. Bouncing between too many aspects of your game will cause progress to really slow overall. 
#3
It generally isn't as hard to motivate yourself to work for a short amount of time rather than doing a long session and 7 hours of steady work per week is far more valuable than 14 hours on the weekend that you are a lot less likely to do.
It is also less likely that a short session will conflict with your other obligations.
The other piece of advise I would give is to be careful of your sleep. It is easy to get caught up in your tasks for the night and to work late but then you will be short on sleep which will make you slower at your day job the next day and you may end up working longer there to compensate which means starting later on your own game which means it is more likely that you will work late and get even less sleep...before you know it, you are sleeping away the whole weekend to "catch up" which means less time on your own project and then it starts all over again on Monday...it is a vicious cycle that can really wreck your productivity in both your day job and your own projects.
09/15/2011 (1:31 pm)
Personally I find that if I can settle into the habit of working 1 hour a night and only commit to that 1 hour then I make more steady progress than when I try to set aside time to work in larger chunks (like on the weekends).It generally isn't as hard to motivate yourself to work for a short amount of time rather than doing a long session and 7 hours of steady work per week is far more valuable than 14 hours on the weekend that you are a lot less likely to do.
It is also less likely that a short session will conflict with your other obligations.
The other piece of advise I would give is to be careful of your sleep. It is easy to get caught up in your tasks for the night and to work late but then you will be short on sleep which will make you slower at your day job the next day and you may end up working longer there to compensate which means starting later on your own game which means it is more likely that you will work late and get even less sleep...before you know it, you are sleeping away the whole weekend to "catch up" which means less time on your own project and then it starts all over again on Monday...it is a vicious cycle that can really wreck your productivity in both your day job and your own projects.
#4
I guess the only thing I would add to the conversation is if you find yourself stuck on a problem you're trying to solve, and you have been staring at it for hours... stop and get some sleep. while you sleep your brain is still processing it and there's a good chance that the next day you may have a new perspective.
Recognizing when to stop staring at a difficult problem is a good skill to learn and will help you out in the long run. most of the time, the longer you stare at a problem in one sitting, the harder the problem can become. step away and if it's not bedtime then do something physical (walk, run, do dishes, etc).
09/23/2011 (12:40 pm)
Good advice by all!I guess the only thing I would add to the conversation is if you find yourself stuck on a problem you're trying to solve, and you have been staring at it for hours... stop and get some sleep. while you sleep your brain is still processing it and there's a good chance that the next day you may have a new perspective.
Recognizing when to stop staring at a difficult problem is a good skill to learn and will help you out in the long run. most of the time, the longer you stare at a problem in one sitting, the harder the problem can become. step away and if it's not bedtime then do something physical (walk, run, do dishes, etc).
#5
I would also suggest making obtainable goals based upon weekly process. However, don't be too concerned if the goal is not always met even though you put the time in, it may just have been more difficult than you thought.
As far as how much time you should put in during your spare time, I don't believe there is any sort of magic number you should be concerned with. If you want to spend your several weeknights and your entire weekend doing something you are passionate about then go ahead. I also find that I get more work done in long sessions than I do in sorter sessions, so I prefer to block out large amounts of time.
You could also take shorter lunches so it appears that you have more time in the day. If you are use to taking an hour lunch, try switching it up with a twenty minute to thirty minute lunch. It will appear that you are "gaining" an extra forty to thirty minutes a day. Plus, I also find switching up the typical work schedule to be more relaxing in general as it then won't seem like so much of a grind.
One of the most important recommendations I can suggest though is getting enough sleep though. I can notice a large increase in productively on the days that I am fully rested than on the days where I am running on less sleep.
09/23/2011 (2:57 pm)
I agree with Dennis' suggestion that if you get stuck on something for several hours, you should take a break. You would be surprised by how many things you might end up solving while taking a break.I would also suggest making obtainable goals based upon weekly process. However, don't be too concerned if the goal is not always met even though you put the time in, it may just have been more difficult than you thought.
As far as how much time you should put in during your spare time, I don't believe there is any sort of magic number you should be concerned with. If you want to spend your several weeknights and your entire weekend doing something you are passionate about then go ahead. I also find that I get more work done in long sessions than I do in sorter sessions, so I prefer to block out large amounts of time.
You could also take shorter lunches so it appears that you have more time in the day. If you are use to taking an hour lunch, try switching it up with a twenty minute to thirty minute lunch. It will appear that you are "gaining" an extra forty to thirty minutes a day. Plus, I also find switching up the typical work schedule to be more relaxing in general as it then won't seem like so much of a grind.
One of the most important recommendations I can suggest though is getting enough sleep though. I can notice a large increase in productively on the days that I am fully rested than on the days where I am running on less sleep.
#6
Well, right now I moved into a new apartment. New town, new job.
I work as a QA Tester, paycheck is ok, dont want to remain to that level though in the future.
The ideea is that when deadlines start happening, we are actually working non stop as in every day of the week, 8 hours a day, saturday and sunday also!
But I do not think this is forever. I just have to find a way to manage my time under these circumstances.
09/26/2011 (1:36 pm)
Thanks to everyone for the kind answers!Well, right now I moved into a new apartment. New town, new job.
I work as a QA Tester, paycheck is ok, dont want to remain to that level though in the future.
The ideea is that when deadlines start happening, we are actually working non stop as in every day of the week, 8 hours a day, saturday and sunday also!
But I do not think this is forever. I just have to find a way to manage my time under these circumstances.
#7
http://gamasutra.com/blogs/RyanVandendyck/20110926/8521/A_day_in_the_life_of_a_double_developer.php
It is basically how my day, but instead of waking up at 4am, I wake up at 8:20 and do my personal time as block at the end of the day, rather than split it up. Oh, and I drive.
09/26/2011 (11:36 pm)
For an example of how good time management could go, take a look at this article from Gamasutrahttp://gamasutra.com/blogs/RyanVandendyck/20110926/8521/A_day_in_the_life_of_a_double_developer.php
It is basically how my day, but instead of waking up at 4am, I wake up at 8:20 and do my personal time as block at the end of the day, rather than split it up. Oh, and I drive.
#9
09/28/2011 (9:59 pm)
When something comes up that becomes a "time obstacle" I will typically first cut down on personal time spent on games/reading/movies, then after that the only thing left to due is cut down on personal development time. The worst thing that could happen in my opinion is to cut down on a sleep, which is never purposely do.
#10
It's pretty hectic, never knew that crunch times are so frequent in the game industry. Some people actually sleep around the desks in order to clock 30h+.
It seems strange to me since game dev should be a creative occupation, not routine and big crunch times. But ... thats what happens when art brings money I guess.
I still have not decided what to do actually. My initial idea was to make a game from scratch, but since I started working I barely have time to start Maya at home. I probably should lay down on paper what I need exactly and proceed to hire someone to help me with the parts I need, but then again, I won't be making the game if I do this ...
10/13/2011 (12:06 am)
I kinda started to adapt to the work schedule.It's pretty hectic, never knew that crunch times are so frequent in the game industry. Some people actually sleep around the desks in order to clock 30h+.
It seems strange to me since game dev should be a creative occupation, not routine and big crunch times. But ... thats what happens when art brings money I guess.
I still have not decided what to do actually. My initial idea was to make a game from scratch, but since I started working I barely have time to start Maya at home. I probably should lay down on paper what I need exactly and proceed to hire someone to help me with the parts I need, but then again, I won't be making the game if I do this ...
#11
It can be hard to have a personal life, let alone do your own game project during crunch.
My only advice is to keep a notepad, laptop, or tablet with you at all times and use any downtime you might have to write up ideas about your game.
10/14/2011 (11:56 am)
Welcome to the "Dark Side" of the game industry: Crunch Time. :(It can be hard to have a personal life, let alone do your own game project during crunch.
My only advice is to keep a notepad, laptop, or tablet with you at all times and use any downtime you might have to write up ideas about your game.
#12
You will also be surprised how much you can get done.
Lastly avoid long threads or deep conversations with Joseph...:)
10/14/2011 (12:37 pm)
I've been doing 25 minute sprints. You will be surprised how hard it is to have a laser focus for 25 minutes with zero personal or external interruptions. Especially when you are switching context watching a compiler.You will also be surprised how much you can get done.
Lastly avoid long threads or deep conversations with Joseph...:)
#13
@Doug - yes having a system to capture ideas when they happen is important. I was using OneNote but now use Evernote because it is available on multiple systems and stores all the as cloud data.
As far as multitasking, most people agree it is not optimal, focusing on one task at a time is best. In the games biz, I think it is good to be able to do both, because there are times you may need to multitask.
I think computers and tablets are taking over as preferred note taking methods. This will help with the ability to multitask.
10/14/2011 (1:02 pm)
@Doug - yes having a system to capture ideas when they happen is important. I was using OneNote but now use Evernote because it is available on multiple systems and stores all the as cloud data.
As far as multitasking, most people agree it is not optimal, focusing on one task at a time is best. In the games biz, I think it is good to be able to do both, because there are times you may need to multitask.
I think computers and tablets are taking over as preferred note taking methods. This will help with the ability to multitask.
#14
No other windows opened except the SDK Stuff, Database and Internal Communicator.
No article reading, no youtube, not even a Torsion session!
Even if your not doing anything your not allowed to do anything else either.
We do have an 1 hour break but that is spent for standing in line at the cantina and eating.
And this happens on all departments.
Seems to me lack of trust in the employees or some really fascist management in place.
Is this the norm in the industry?
10/14/2011 (3:09 pm)
Hmm, now that you guys speak about it, it does seem strange that our management does not allow us any downtime at all. No other windows opened except the SDK Stuff, Database and Internal Communicator.
No article reading, no youtube, not even a Torsion session!
Even if your not doing anything your not allowed to do anything else either.
We do have an 1 hour break but that is spent for standing in line at the cantina and eating.
And this happens on all departments.
Seems to me lack of trust in the employees or some really fascist management in place.
Is this the norm in the industry?
#15
10/15/2011 (2:28 pm)
@Alkor - I've never had a job like that. I'm guessing most haven't. I expect all of our guys to be creative thinkers. Our company value is "work hard/play hard". We try not to mix them all of the time so that we can be efficient, but we recognize that the play hard part is important. Some of our best ideas have come out of a B.S. session near the coffee machine during non-work meetings. 
Torque Owner Jules
Something2Play