#21DaysOfCode — Let’s build consistency!
When it comes to coding, have you ever felt stuck in the same stage for a long time? This is probably a good place to get back on track. Read on to find out what #21DaysOfCode is all about.
The What
A public commitment to code everyday for 21 days in a row, with an aim of contributing to free and open source projects.
The Why
A lot of times, we take online tutorials, workshops and courses on emerging tech, not always applying those skills practically to create useful applications. Despite good intentions, we let our whims and rationalizations decide the course of our days. #21DaysOfCode serves as a public commitment, so that you’ll be held accountable to your goals — a method that’s been proven to improve people’s ability to stick to new habits.
Why free and open source software in particular? With FOSS, you can study from an existing code base and learn from it directly in a practical manner, while simultaneously applying what you learn and giving back to the community at large. (For the uninitiated, here is a primer on what FOSS is all about).
This can also be considered as the small step before the big leap that is #100DaysOfCode, based on which this challenge has been adopted.
The How
This part is pretty simple -
- Before getting started, decide which area you’d like to learn more about (web development, app development, image processing, machine learning, whatever — you name it).
- Take some time to do your bit of research on the best resources that’ll guide your learning and application in the next 21 days. Even a couple days or two, if necessary.
- Make a public commitment when you start.*
- Code for at-least one hour for 21 days in a row.
- Post regular updates (daily, weekly, or whatever works for you!) on a platform of your choice.*
- Contribute to at least one FOSS project along the way.
(*) For those not comfortable with updating on popular social media, an ideal way to go about would be through Medium or GitHub. For example, I plan to update weekly through Medium. An alternative would be to maintain a GitHub repo that can be updated daily.
Do remember that this challenge is a personal commitment. You could be a beginner learning to code, or a novice. You can choose to do this challenge along with someone else, you can start at anytime of your liking, and so forth. What matters is being consistent and true to yourself.
If you’re interested and/or have any doubts, feel free to contact me. All the best!
