At the start of a brand-new project, the especially optimistic developer assumes each task will go off without a hitch. Though a sunny disposition helps you build relationships with clients, unchecked optimism can be dangerous to your work. Murphy’s Law dictates things rarely go as smoothly as you’d hope for. Each job is unpredictable in the ways it can de-rail from the plan, so you need to be realistic about these odds. The good news is you can increase your chances of sticking to the plan when you make a habit of following these five best practices.

1. Start with a basic plan

All this talk of plans, yet it’s still one of the most frequently overlooked strategies. Don’t underestimate the importance of starting at the beginning. Many developers love to jump right into the meat of a project and start coding, but this spontaneous approach rarely works in your favor. It’s all too easy to work yourself in circles when you aren’t following a clear plan. Your first step should be to consider the overall goal of the project, so you can prioritize tasks appropriately without being distracted by the details of the job. [Read more…]