How to Answer the Question: "Am I Good Enough?"

Dor Shani — Sun, 27 Aug 2023 16:18:37 +0000

For the past several months, I've been grappling with a question that probably haunts many of us: "Am I good enough?" Am I good enough as a programmer? A designer? How about managing my time? The list goes on.

The Short Answer

I honestly don't have a definite answer yet, but I'm working on it.

Being "good enough" at something you aspire to excel in is a double-edged sword. On one side, you are what you claim to be—in my case, a frontend developer. On the flip side, your work undergoes scrutiny. While some might applaud your design aesthetics and user experience, others may find it lacking or not aligned with their expectations.

The Complex Reality

Becoming more proficient in your craft is a blend of dedication, time, and passion. But let's face it, the hustle and bustle of today's corporate world make achieving these three elements challenging. For most of us, the only viable route to honing our skills is to utilize whatever free time we can muster, often squeezed between family commitments, day jobs, and life's other obligations. So, how do you find the time to improve?

A Hard Truth Worth Embracing

As a wise man once said:

"Ease is a greater threat to progress than hardship. Without commitment, you'll never start, but more importantly, without consistency, you'll never finish."

This quote serves as a reminder that challenges are actually catalysts for progress. What I've learned over the past year is to "fake it till you make it." I repeated affirmations like "This is fun," "I like this," and "I enjoy it" until they became a reality. It might sound cliché, but this exercise helped instill a genuine sense of passion and a drive to learn, create, and evolve—not just as a programmer or designer, but as a person.

The Journey is the Destination

In a developer's life, obstacles are a given. What we need to practice is not just the ability to clear these hurdles, but to relish the journey. Embrace the hardships, for they lead to real growth and progress. Master the art of enduring, and you'll find yourself not just meeting your goals but enjoying the process itself.

My Journey into Frontend Freelancing

Dor Shani — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 17:16:01 +0000

A little over a year ago, I bid goodbye to the regular nine-to-five grind as a full stack developer. My journey began with an abundance of motivation, pushing me to dedicate long hours and pouring hard work into my job. I was making strides, and things seemed promising.

But as the saying goes, "all good things come to an end." I decided to chase a dream - setting up a business of my own, leveraging the skills and knowledge I'd accumulated over the years.

The initial stages of freelance life were encouraging. I hustled, found clients, and landed some projects. Everything seemed to be going smoothly until I stumbled upon a project that starkly highlighted my inexperience.

At a corporate job, there's a safety net. There, I learned how things "should" work, but the actual doing was often a collective effort. I worked on solo projects but didn’t grasp the entirety of a project’s lifecycle, from conception to handing it over to developers.

Being a solo developer means wearing all hats. While I was aware of this, experiencing it firsthand was a different ball game. As a developer creating a product, my skill set needed to be vast. When challenges arose, I had to have the answers. When things went awry, the buck stopped with me.

But every cloud has a silver lining. The satisfaction of completing a project, knowing users are deriving joy from it? It's an incomparable high!

Then there was that project—the one that threw me into the deep end. The one where the tech was unfamiliar, and I felt out of depth. It ended up being a lesson in humility. However, the growth I experienced in the subsequent months was exponential—greater than years spent in a structured company environment.

This solo venture broadened my horizons. Now, I can confidently say I deliver better projects, ensuring clients feel they've gotten their money's worth. My communication skills have improved, and I've mastered the art of setting realistic goals.

As my father wisely put it: "You know you've struck a good deal when everyone's happy."

This journal marks the beginning of my story-sharing. I aim to keep things casual and spirited, offering insights from my freelance journey.

I'm eager to hear from others. What experiences propelled you to grow and be better?

Until we meet again on these virtual pages! 🙂

DEV Community: Dor Shani

How to Answer the Question: "Am I Good Enough?"

The Complex Reality

A Hard Truth Worth Embracing

The Journey is the Destination

My Journey into Frontend Freelancing