Why I keep three GitHub repos open
How a small constraint on open tabs shaped what I actually finish.
I keep three GitHub repos open in browser tabs, no more. Not three projects on disk — three in the browser. The disk has more, but they do not get my attention.
What the three are#
One is the product I am shipping. One is a piece of personal infra I am slowly improving. One is a piece of someone else's code I am reading.
The rule keeps each role honest: shipping work, slow improvement, and input. If I find myself opening a fourth tab, I close one of the first three.
What it forced#
A handful of side projects went on long pause when the rule started. Most of them did not survive contact with the pause. The ones that did came back into the rotation when something dropped out.
This is the same shape as deleting features. The thing I was reluctant to let go of often did not need me as much as I thought it did.
The dashboard tab#
I had a dashboard tab once that I checked all day. It did not belong in the three. I moved it to a Friday-only window, and the product is in better shape for it.