It seems just like yesterday when we were screaming and wishing everyone a happy new year, but look, it's the third month already. It's been a roller-coaster of emotions since then; all of which I wouldn't take for granted. Consequently, I learned a lot and would love to share some with you.
Expand Your Network
This has been said time and time again, but let me tell you how beneficial this has been for me: I've had and completed two paying jobs this year and currently working on my third. All three opportunities were gotten because of someone I know. One was directly from someone in my network and the other two opportunities came to be because I applied for them through links that someone in my network sent me.
There's no limit to what you can learn or receive from your network, you can get resume reviews, coding tips, networking tips, business opportunities and a lot more. I would probably publish a post talking mostly about networking and how to do it but for now, what you need to know is this: long-term relationships have been formed by simply saying hi to another person. Of course, in this case, you'd have to include the reason for your hi.
It is also important to note that you have to ensure you have something to give as well. No one wants to be friends or network with someone who has nothing to offer, so make sure your personality and mind are in good condition, at the very least.
Take Breaks
I have to confess that I'm still struggling to do this but there has been some improvement. One can say I get addicted to completely solving a challenge once I begin and so it takes a lot of discipline and self control to take a break even when I'm stuck on a problem for hours. It took working on a challenge for an extra 3 hours and not finding a solution, and then waking up to solve it in just over 30 minutes, for me learn. Now, I have that lesson plastered on my wall for me to see in case I forget.
Learn to take breaks in between work. Close your eyes, take a walk, have lunch or some snacks, get on the phone with a friend or family. Just take that break.
Move
This is for those who are concerned about their health—which should be everyone. I spend the bulk of my day sitting in front of my laptop and I can't really maintain the same posture all through. I mean there a posture for when you're tired, another for when you're relaxed, another for when your stuck on a problem, and yet another for when you suddenly get an idea.
Soon, I started experiencing pains due to bad posture which later affected my ability to work. I decided to take long walks and when that took too much time, I switched to jogging. This helped relieve me of those pains and helped me maintain a better posture.
Move your body often, whether it's going to get groceries yourself, walking instead of driving or doing some light workout for 30 minutes. One hack I use is putting a bottle of water nearby so that I can take that walk to the bathroom and back as often as possible.
Reflect
Take time out to reflect on your growth or otherwise because only then can we improve on ourselves. Form a habit of learning a lesson from each achievement or failure or from anything at all. Find areas for improvement and make plans for that. You can find an accountability partner—someone who can hold you accountable to your goals, if it'll help. And the good news is you don't have to do it all at once. Space them out so you don’t feel overwhelmed and give up.
If you need to improve your coding skills, take classes, watch tutorial videos or read a book; if you need to improve your social skills and network more, start by saying hi to that person; if you want to be able to write better, start writing, read more articles and learn from them. You'll be better for it, I assure you.
Conclusion
Life always gives us something to learn, relearn and unlearn. Make sure to respond accordingly and become an even better person and/or employee.
Feel free to include some of the things you've learned as well in the comments.
See y'all later.👋
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