[WIP] Lessons from 8 months of Leetcode

Been writing for a month now, but I think it would be more meaningful to write posts that are actually useful to you guys out here. Feel free to ask questions in the comments and I will get to answering them in this post!

Leetcode Profile: https://leetcode.com/c6z3h/

1. What do you actually do?

• Leetcode Daily, every day
• Leetcode Weekly Contests
• Google Kick Start (if I don't have other plans).

2. What is your motivation to keep at it?

A love of algorithms. I'm quite impressed by the diverse ways to solve a problem.

Also, that I just commit to 1 Leetcode Daily within 30 minutes per day. If I cannot solve it I just look at the answer. But I make sure to spin my wheels for that long each day. This comes from a philosophy I once heard on "The Ground Up Show" with a fitness expert Nate Green -- just find the "minimum laughable amount" you'd do as a habit and start there. So like, if spending 10 minutes on Leetcode a week makes you go

"Bah, of course I can do that, it's so easy"

Start there. You'll be surprised how far you go with that. This is a philosophy I mention to friends looking for exercise tips too. It's far more effective to keep a small habit than to force yourself into overdrive, only to relapse.

3. The main thing you learnt?

That some days are bad, but its part of the journey. Some days I'd just be unable to solve the question. But these moments are precious. They highlight a gap in understanding, and offers an opportunity to get better.

[Keep the questions coming!...]