Improving Your Dev Work Environment and Productivity

NeoVim, tmux, Obsidian—you’ve probably seen these tools mentioned often. As you explore more, you’ll see a lot of content about improving your productivity with different setups. I’ve tried many of them, and here’s my feedback.

TL;DR: There’s no perfect tool, only the ones that work best for you. Try them out, build your ideal setup, and see how a good environment can make a big difference.

Missing My Old Setup

My first job as a developer was in a Linux environment, where I had everything set up the way I liked—commands, shortcuts, and configurations that made my work easier. But when I moved to a Windows-based job, I lost that comfort. My personal laptop was also running Windows, but I only used it for college work (electrical engineering), so my coding environment was mainly on my work laptop.

As I struggled with my new setup, my motivation dropped. I missed the customizations I had on Linux, but I couldn’t switch back right away. AWS certification exams don’t support Linux, so I was stuck on Windows for a few months. I could’ve used WSL2, but it still didn’t feel like a proper coding setup.

Discovering Dev Productivity Tools

While using Windows, I discovered a community of developers who are really into terminal-based tools. I saved a lot of videos to watch later, and when I had the time, I tried out every tool that seemed interesting or useful. But the reality was different from what I expected.

There were many new shortcuts to learn, and I faced challenges when working on larger projects. I also realized that not all of these tools were necessary. Sometimes, the tools you already know are good enough, and there’s no need to learn something new unless it truly solves a problem.

The Power of a Good Coding Environment

Just like having a well-organized study space makes studying easier, having a well-setup coding environment can make a huge difference. Your environment—including software, hardware, and peripherals—affects your productivity and motivation.

This doesn’t just apply to your physical setup. Being part of a community of programmers or having friends who are also into coding can be just as motivating. The key takeaway: use the tools and resources available to create a productive environment. It really makes a difference.