On ok+ days, 6h (in two 3h sessions). Sustainably. Not just writing code, but also walking around and thinking, researching, rubber ducking, etc. I can maybe sq

On ok+ days, 6h (in two 3h sessions). Sustainably. Not just writing code, but also walking around and thinking, researching, rubber ducking, etc. I can maybe squeeze a third session, but it's 1.5h and pretty crappy. If I'm super zoned in in a meaty problem where I could work alone (or with one person max), I can obsess about it and invest all my waking time minus some 4 hours (1h lunch, 1h dinner, 2h unwinding). This is a straining effort that requires deliberation and appropriate care (either the work is galvanizing you enough, or you're gonna need downtime after this). This seems to be on the higher side of the bell curve, from what I've talked with other folks, but certainly not at the top. I know a person that can do 10 hours, pretty much consistently, peppered with cigarette and meal breaks. One person, in all my life. Trying to emulate them will probably be very damaging for most people. Seen multiple people having breakdowns trying to do that. You might not be on the high side but I recommend you: - Don't feel bad about what you can do today. Just admit it candidly to yourself. - If you want to, train this skill, pretty much like you'd train anything else with your body. I bet it's going to be a lot like weightlifting: slow, sloggy, and needing some restraint to not push yourself into injuries.