If you're learning to code, there's one thing that you need more than your ability to code itself - and that is MOTIVATION. It's hard to stay motivated all the time, in fact, it's impossible. There are a lot of things that can hinder your progress and you need to stay committed in spite of them.
So how do you keep yourself from procrastinating or altogether giving up? I'm going to share a few ways to help you maintain your streak and make progress every day.
1. Share your journey on the web
If you're all alone on your journey with nobody to answer to, chances are you wouldn't care if you finish your assignment today or meet your daily goals.
But if you share your journey to the world you'd feel accountable to them. It would push you to reach your goals, either short-term or long-term.
One of the best ways is to follow the #100DaysOfCode challenge on Twitter. The goal is to code for at least one hour every day for the next 100 days and share your progress with the twitter community. This is helpful because the dev community will share their views and suggestions too which will keep you on the right track.
2. Pair programming
If you feel you're not ready to share with the whole world just yet, you can start small and find a code buddy. It's a great way to learn as you both stay accountable to each other's progress i.e. pair programming.
Pair programming is a technique where two developers collectively code to find solutions to different coding problems.
There are many advantages to pair programming
- You make sure your code is less prone to errors
- You learn interpersonal skills and how to interact with other people
- You learn from each other.
3. Get inspired
If you're really demotivated, I recommend reading about other people's journeys. How they became something from nothing. They could be an inspiration to you and you can learn from them.
Twitter and Linkedin are the best sources to connect with such people. You could follow their advice and ask them any questions that you have.
4. Taking breaks
The main reason why people get demotivated is because they think that they need to be coding 24/7. Having this mindset can make coding feel like a daunting task and it instantly flips the switch off.
The mind can only take so much. You cannot master everything in 1 day or 1 month or 1 year. Without resting your mind it's impossible to make progress and you can easily burn out.
Instead, take breaks. By break, I mean don't think about code. Go for a walk. Take a trip. Take the weekend off. Read a book. This refreshes your mind and also gives you new ideas to implement into your project.
5. Remove all distractions
The most important thing needed to train your brain to stay motivated is FOCUS. If you lose focus, you lose interest, you procrastinate. How do you lose focus? DISTRACTIONS
So find a way to avoid all these distractions. Find a quiet place and turn off your phone while you're working. You can give yourself a few minutes break in the middle and then tend to those distractions.
Thank you very much for reading. I hope this helps you in your journey like it has helped me. Happy coding!
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