Lately, I've been spending time reflecting on what I'm thankful for. One of the things I personally am most grateful for is one of those things that many people include in their list of frustrations.
Development, and especially front end development, is a topic that is both constantly and rapidly changing. When I first learned to program, there was no internet. I didn't need to know HTML or CSS. My first program used only a command line interface. This was quite popular at the time. I felt quite enabled with only a small amount of experience to build something that actually impacted my life at the time (a D&D tool).
Things are much different today. There seem to be many technologies you must understand just to get started. And as you learn more, you find that there are many many more things you don't know. As you discover how many technologies exist and are used in typical programming jobs, it can become overwhelming. For existing developers, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by all the new technologies getting popular every day. You're busy working 40 to 60 hours a week, yet it appears that if you haven't tried the latest tool then you are probably falling behind. And someone else on your team already knows it, is saying how cool it is, and how it's going to make everything so much better.
This can quickly develop into a feeling of being overwhelmed…of falling behind. Just when you start to feel like you're getting some competence, something new releases and everyone is using it and now you have to learn it or you'll be behind.
Photos by Derek Howard
This tendency to feel overwhelmed is common. It contributes to impostor syndrome. But with the right viewpoint, we can learn something very positive here.
Let's look at the benefits of this situation.
First, this situation means that you always have something new and awesome to learn. It's like a technology buffet. If you went to a buffet and were convinced that you had to eat all the food there, that would be bad for your health. Instead, a buffet is a large set of options. You can find the foods that you want. You can try new ones, and possibly find that you like them, and if you don't, you can eat something else. This is the tech world today. A buffet of technology options.
Second, our current situation gives you the opportunity to become a relative expert on a new technology, and stand out on your team and in the community. By diving into something you can learn it and teach others. You can see if it's a good fit for your project at work, you can talk about it at meetups and conferences, write blogs about it, and become known for understanding and teaching it. You are on an even footing with everyone else when a new technology comes out. There are no experts who have been using it for the last ten years who are already "recognized experts". You can be that expert. You can be the guide.
Third, you're never stuck. If life changes and you find yourself in a rut, you can always get up and go do something new. You can redefine yourself. Get a new job in a new tech, or start a new project at work, or on the side. You can make your work-life match what your psyche needs. You can make a fresh start.
So this weekend, I'm grateful for so many technologies releasing and changing so quickly. They're not a tidal wave to be drowned in, they're a maverick to surf to glory.
What are you grateful for?
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Happy Coding!
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