Quality is a habit
The way I write software has evolved over time. Over the years I've
learned a series of practices that are now core parts of the way I
work. I do branch-based development, which means I make small changes
in short iterations so that I can start and complete a task in a
matter of hours or days. This keeps me motivated because I'm
constantly accomplishing little goals. I do test-driven development,
which means I write tests that my software has to pass before I
consider it complete. This builds self-validation into the software
and helps me focus on the behaviour the software must implement to
solve the problem I'm tackling. I participate in code reviews, which
means other people look at the changes I've made and give me feedback
soon after I complete a task. I'm constantly learning from the people
around me and am continually growing my overall knowledge of the
software we work on.

I have a theory that "the things that contribute to quality need to be
part of your daily work flow." One of the key aspects of the
practices I described above is that I apply them daily. In software,
and in life, problems tend to be harder to fix the longer we leave
them unfixed. As time goes on the problems become more and more
deeply ingrained. The practices above cause problems to be caught
before they're hard to fix and a focus on quality encourages us to fix
them before we move on. I think this applies to most of the things
people do. You don't improve your health by eating a really healthy
meal once-a-week. Neither do you improve your fitness by exercising
for several hours only on the weekend. Learning anything is very
difficult if you don't practice regularly. Maintaining a friendship
is hard if you don't have frequent contact. I think that good habits,
those that contribute to quality, are about course correction. If you
apply them frequently you stay on course because you are constantly
correcting. If you apply them infrequently you get some benefit but
it's easier to veer off over time and end up on the wrong path.

When I reflect on my life and identify things that I want to change
I'm increasingly asking myself the question, "What do I need to change
in my daily routine to realize the results I desire?"