I recently noticed a rising demotivation trend among, especially code newbies on social media (Tech Twitter — under #100DaysOfCode) to be precise, who are at the quitting stage and feel that coding is not really “their thing”.
It often starts with the questions like;
— “How do you find time to code every day?”
Or maybe even, as the title suggests;
— “How do you stay motivated as you learned to code?”
Maybe you too or someone you know is having that thought or has told you or maybe asked similar questions.
Well, dear reader, worry no more!
I am a seasoned learner (Autodidact), Teacher, trainer, and also a coding enthusiast and I wish to share with you some of my top secrets on How you can (and should) START and STAY on your coding Journey; pushing through each day with consistent energy, enthusiasm, and gusto, as I am.
Rest assured that coding is A SKILL that can be acquired (learned) and or sharpened (honed) by ANYBODY with a good approach.
STARTING
The first 5 steps are all about choosing the right destination and preparing your backpack for it. I cannot emphasise enough how important it is to ensure that you know your destination and pack in the most important items you need.
“Before you begin scrambling up the ladder of success, make sure that it is leaning against the right building.”
— Stephen Covey
1) Define a PRECISE REASON and WRITE IT DOWN!
Start with a GOOD REASON! (The WHY):
- WHY do you wish to write code?
- Why is it vital that you learn that skill?
- Be as personal and selfish as possible! Is it for the money? The ability to work remotely? Or maybe The need to belong to a unique group of extraordinary people that can “manipulate” that thing called the computer?
The more personal the reason is, the higher your chances are of staying on the journey. Whenever you feel discouraged, you can always remind yourself why you started in the first place.
“Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement”.
— W. Clement Stone
2) Define Your NOUNS and VERBS
How do you wish to be CALLED when you are done? Just google out “code-related job titles”.
What do you want to be able TO DO with your coding skills? Do you wish to design, develop, program, manage databases, etc? Again, google some more!
The more precise and clear you are about what you want, the easier it will be for you to complete the next step,
which is…
3) Find a MENTOR
I define a Mentor as someone who:
- is already where you aspire to be,
- has the job title (Noun) you wish to have
- and is doing what you would like to do (the verb)
The best way to know the road ahead is to ask someone who is returning from the where you are going.
— Anonymous
When you pick out a mentor, ask them if they can mentor you. Your mentor is going to play a key role in guiding you along your journey. Share and revise steps 1, 2, and 4 with them. Be honest, open-minded, and ready to adapt!
I suggest that you go to your mentor with multiple choice questions and not essay questions.
- Multiple choice questions present choices like; should I do ABC or XYZ?
- Essay questions are stuff that you can easily google-out, like; how do I move from A to Z?
Take down notes to avoid repeating questions and making your mentor feel like you are wasting their time!
Be Mentor-able, but at the same time don’t expect to be spoon-fed!
By not being spoon-fed, I mean you should not always wait for everything to be given to you or explained to you. Of course, hints are allowed, like the ones I am giving to you in this article when I ask you to google-out.
4) Assess Yourself
This part of the journey is important for the moments when you need motivation and will also help save you from eventualities like Burnout.
It is all about psychology and doing some introspection (thinking about you!). It is unique for every individual. Nobody knows you better than YOU.
The following questions should help you have an idea;
- Who are you? — a little personal SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) is not such a bad idea.
- How do you learn best?
- When are you in your “A-game”? etc
Some people already have answers to such questions.
From my experience, the answers are made especially clear when you face challenging situations and the way you go about solving them.
5) Assess Your Needs;
a) What do you NEED TO KNOW, to be able to do what you want?
There are tons of programming languages to pick from, such as:
- JavaScript, Python, Java, PHP, C#
- Or frameworks — (Front-end: Express, Django, Rails, Laravel, Spring, etc…Back-end: Angular, React, Vue Ember, backbone)
b) What resources do you need TO USE?
- Equipment (hardware and software)
- Courses?
- Offline (Books), online, or both?
Your mentor can help you make a choice.
Don’t wait to have EVERYTHING before you start, but there are some key elements you need.
Have you ever gone on a long trip but forgotten to pack your Notebook or phone charger? Or maybe a toothbrush? With phones and toothbrushes, it is easy to get around it. Notebooks? Almost impossible!
STAYING ON THE JOURNEY
Congratulations on reading this far!
I am certain that the first part of this article helped you make some necessary adjustments both physical and mental.
This next part is going to set you apart from the majority of learners out there! My intention here is to give you a few hints that will help you stay motivated and consistent while at the same time having lots of fun all the way!
6) Have an appropriate setup;
Do your best to prepare the area where you will be spending your learning time. This is also a matter of individual taste, preferences, and budget. I will not talk about the software setup here!
In my humble opinion, a coding setup should be Ergonomic enough. I am thinking about the long-term health consequences on your body especially;
- Your eyes
- Your neck and back (in fact your whole vertebral column)
- Your major joints (knees and elbows)
- Your butt also deserves some attention!
I am sure you get the whole idea.
Other aspects include but are not limited to:
- Ventilation
- Lighting
- Temperature
- Noise
- Distractions
- Aroma?
How you set up will determine if you will like to continue learning or not! Believe me!
Tech Twitter can help you with set up inspiration! So….
7) Join Twitter! (#100DaysOfCode)
This article is already getting too long and I do not wish to waste any more of your precious time yammering about how motivating it is to realize that you are not alone on this journey!
Ask your mentor to help you set up a suitable Twitter account.
Start simple, just post regularly about what you learned that day. Let it be interesting and straight to the point! Or you can comment on or retweet interesting posts.
Find and connect (follow) with people with experience in the same field as you are.
Help others when you can.
I will leave it at that… you will soon figure it all out!
Although I must mention a few aspects concerning communication!
8) Mind your communication
Take out some time to reflect on the information you send out (post) and how you receive and interpret information.
If you feel you have communication challenges, then one of your priorities should be improving your communication skills because you will be doing a lot of communication during your journey in form of questions and or answers through emails and social media posts.
Like Austin Kleon says in one of his bestsellers — KEEP GOING, resolve not to argue with strangers online!
I totally recommend his books! I am NOT marketing here! He doesn’t even know me!
9) Do not compare yourself with others!
Comparing with others is the fastest way to stop your journey!
Comparison will not only rob you of all your positive energy and creativity, it will leave negative feelings of envy and bitterness in their place! You end up feeling worse than when you started!
If you have never read or heard about THE DESIDERATA, then google it out AFTER you are done with this article!
If you must compare, grab a mirror and do it with the person you see in the mirror!
Each second you spend learning makes you better than you were before you started the learning session.
You can find that out when you evaluate your progress based on the objectives set at the beginning of the process.
Be optimistic and patient with yourself because sometimes it takes some time to notice huge improvements.
Some areas will be easier to learn and master than others.
Take note of your learning. It will give you something to post about on social media but most importantly it will boost you up. Even if it is just a single syntax or a new HTML tag! Be grateful for it…
10) Be appreciative — and show it!
Just say a thank you!
- To your mentor
- To yourself
- To anyone who deserves it!
It is as simple as that!
Let them know what they have done!
Start now! Apply the knowledge and never forget this;
“You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great” — Zig Ziglar
THANK YOU for reading this far! 🙏🏾
If it was worth it, please;
- clap, comment, and share with someone you feel might need it!
- Let’s connect especially on Twitter!
If I made some mistakes please let me know (just me!) — I am only human too😌
I got some of my quotes from the Brainy Quotes website.
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