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yang yaru
yang yaru

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From Doom Scrolling to Code Rolling: My Developer Revival Story 🚀

This is a submission for the 2025 New Year Writing challenge: Retro’ing and Debugging 2024.

The Dark Before Dawn 🌑

Before 2024, I was your typical doom-scroller. You know the drill - endless Douyin (Chinese TikTok) sessions, minimal life goals, and a constant battle with depression. Work was just... work. Nothing more.

The Plot Twist 🔄

Enter my colleague @JiaLiangC - the unexpected mentor who changed everything. Through his book recommendations and a beginner-friendly programming course, I found my spark again.

The Technical Awakening 💻

2024 became my year of coding renaissance:

  • Built a simplified Tomcat implementation
  • Started diving into Spring framework internals
  • Made my first open-source contributions
  • Learned under @JiaLiangC's guidance

Sure, these might sound like baby steps to some, but hey - every developer started somewhere, right?

 yaruyng

yaruyng

Beyond the Code 🌱

But wait, there's more! This transformation wasn't just about coding:

  • Dove deep into psychology and social science books
  • Started a consistent workout routine 💪
  • Began learning English seriously
  • Significantly reduced screen time
  • Sought professional help for depression

The Results? 📈

Map<String, LifeState> life = Map.of(
    "before2024", new LifeState(0, null, null),
    "after2024", new LifeState(100, "clear", true)
);
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What's Next? 🎯

As I step into 2025, I'm no longer that person mindlessly scrolling through social media. I'm a developer-in-progress, an open-source contributor, and most importantly - someone who's excited about the future.

The Takeaway 💡

If you're stuck in a rut, remember: change is possible. Sometimes all it takes is:

  • The right mentor
  • A willingness to learn
  • Taking care of your mental health
  • Consistent small steps forward

Has anyone else experienced a similar transformation? What was your turning point? Let's chat in the comments! 👇


Note: This post is dedicated to @JiaLiangC - thank you for being the catalyst for change!

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