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Discussion on: Get These In Place Before Starting Your Next Side Project πŸ‘€

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jessicaward profile image
Jessica Ward

One more suggestion: don't try out too many new technologies, frameworks, tools at once.

You will likely spend too much time learning, not enough time doing, and you'll lose motivation.

Learning is great, but in reasonable amounts.

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sonofab1rd profile image
Jacob Dierkens

Any suggestions for moving from learning to doing? There's so much to learn that I'm constantly stuck in the learning space!

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niharrs profile image
Niharika Singh β›“

Start with basics. Pick up stuff thats the most in demand. See what others are doing in the space. If you’re new, I’d recommend you to do a boot camp.

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azlindley profile image
Adreanna

Me too!! I call it going down the rabbit hole! I’ll be trying to research a solution and run across a fascinating article that leads me to another and then another another I learn something new but my project goesnpeh

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niharrs profile image
Niharika Singh β›“

Yeah, been there done that! The only way out is to not get distracted by the amount of resources online.

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sonofab1rd profile image
Jacob Dierkens

So true! Yet sometimes so hard to stay focused!

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emmanuelkaranja profile image
emmanuel-karanja

Hi.

I had the exact same problem. I'd be working on the project and then go online to do some research and end up reading stuff for hours.

To solve this problem, I set a goal of one or two or three tasks to do on my side-project per-day e.g. implement 'Trading' Controller and Repository', or 'Implement the registration form' etc and make sure I do that one thing before I do anything else. If I can do it in a half an hour, I do it an half an hour and spend the rest of the time reading, if it takes longer, so be it. If there is some research needed, I do it focused on that one task alone. But I make sure I do it, if I can't do it, It's not because I digressed and couldn't work on it. I have found that with this method you maintain focus and consistent forward momentum in your project and you are able to finish most of the ones you start. I usually set that goal the night before, and then write it down on a post-it and tape right there on the screen. And with it, you can even manage to do more than one side-project at a time. Try it out.

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Jack Lowrie

This is really good advice. I've been trying to learn one new thing per project, which has worked well for me!

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niharrs profile image
Niharika Singh β›“

True! Learning one thing at a time is the way to go.

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Andrew Baisden

Good advice I prefer to learn a few things and then create a project with that technical stack so that I am getting real experience before I move onto new technologies.