Getting back into coding after a long.. long break!
I haven’t been coding for the past 2 months. It’s been extremely rough maintaining a full-time job, relationship, creative ventures, social life, and my coding endeavors. HOWEVER, it is now time for me to start again and it’s been rough getting back into the swing of things.
This article is going to talk about how to get BACK into coding after being away from it for a bit. Or… how to get back into anything!
Step 1: Change your environment
Being in a new space physically can do a lot for your mental. When I made the conscious decision to start coding again, I started thinking about where I could go in order to jog my motivation and feel refreshed. I knew if I stayed in my apartment, I could fall victim to wanting to hop on a “couple” rounds of Apex… which would lead me to another night of “well, now i’m too tired… i’ll start tomorrow!”
I’ve been checking out a bunch of different coffee shops in my area to see which ones I enjoy the most! However, you could go anywhere you like. You know yourself best so switch it up and start new habits in new places!
Step 2: PLAN
Okay, I’m not a huge planner whatsoever. In fact, I despise planning. I love being spontaneous and living in the moment. However, this has not been helpful when it comes to starting and staying consistent with my coding journey. Therefore, I picked up a new app called “Habit Rabbit” which is a task app that feels like a game! It’s made me want to code more so I can check off coding for the day and clean up the rabits room and level up haha.
If that’s not your cup of tea, then go ahead and just download a random task app that looks cool, pull out your journal or notes app and PLAN. You can change the structure so don’t feel like you need to get it perfect right away.
Step 3: Be realistic!
I am the BEST when it comes to being too ambitious. I often times get such elaborate ideas and create unattainable goals that end up demotivating me because I can’t reach it.
My dad shared a story he had back in the day when he was new to his job and created ambitious (out of reach) weekly goals to his boss. When my dad told his boss the huge goals he had set for himself , his boss asked asked “Do you think you can maintain this performance EVERY week? If not, then you may be setting yourself up for burnout. It’s better to be realistic with yourself to see what you can achieve and how you can make smaller steps to reaching larger goals.”
With that, I’ve applied that mindset to my own growth and development, especially when it comes to getting back into the swing of things.
Look, I don’t have all the answers but I do have some things that have worked for me. I hope you were able to take something away from this article! I will continue to update y’all on my progress.
Remember, empires were built brick by brick. Take your time, start small, and you will achieve greatness.