Screw Talent — 8 Ways to Unleash Your Inner Coding Hero
Ever wonder what separates people learning web development who are wildly successful from those struggling to pick up the skill? People will generally chalk it up to innate skills, being naturally wired to learn this stuff, or just “the magic.” As with anything, I think there is some degree of truth to this. But your attitude to learning the skill is massively underrated!
There are two groups of people: those who “put in the time” but struggle to actually learn, and those who crush it and learn a ton incredibly quickly. Here are the steps the people who dominate take.
Step #1: Take 100% Ownership Over Your Development
Skills as complicated as coding require you to be all-in about learning and driven to master the process of learning. Every minute you spend learning, you should ask yourself:
Am I giving this my best effort?
If you’re not giving things your best effort, that’s a problem. Stop screwing around because it’s time to get serious.
You need to audit yourself in an honest and effective way.
Step #2: Stop Watching Game of Thrones
You probably have more time than you think that you are spending on stuff that doesn’t matter. How many hours are you playing video games? How many hours a day do you watch TV?
Evaluate your time, and if you’re committed to learning something new, you should go all-in to pick up the skill. You can always have a marathon of watching TV on Netflix once you get to where you need to be.
Life is shorter than you think. You have less minutes on this planet than you probably think you will. Make each one count.
Step #3: Stop Making Excuses
When you hear yourself making excuses like, “I didn’t know I was supposed to” or “Why didn’t someone tell me I had to…”, it should be a huge wake-up call for you personally.
Making excuses about your learning are like playing the game in defense. To win, you need to turn the tables and go 100% on the offense. Flip the script and start asking yourself, “Why haven’t I done that already?”
Step #4: Stay Focused
Now, sometimes the learning process can be hard. You might need to dig in and learn something that’s a little outside your comfort zone. Intensely focusing on hard topics is how you’ll level up and get the skills you need to conquer the next challenge that’s waiting around the corner.
Going outside your comfort zone means that in order to learn what you need to, you will need your mental energy to be 100% focused. Bouncing around from one thing to the next, or shying away from the uncomfortable won’t let you master your skills and advance forward.
Step #5: Plan Out Exactly Which Topic You’re Going to Learn
Then spend all your energy achieving that goal. When you take a few minutes at the start of the week to think about or write down what you’re going to accomplish, you can’t accept any of the bullshit that gets in the way.
By prioritizing and making it a goal, you’re setting a standard that you’re going to live up to. Be the type of person who always meets their goals.
Step #6: Consistency & Habit is the Name of the Game
If you want to make a change in your life, whether it’s to get in better shape, pick up a new skill, or improve any area of your life, single actions are pretty insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Going to the gym one time isn’t going to fix a lifetime of neglecting your health.
Instead, it’s the consistency of doing something, and following a pattern, that makes a new habit a part of your identity.
You need to allocate part of your time to pure coding with no interruptions. There is no substitute for that when you’re trying to learn web development. Don’t let anything get in the way of you doing this consistently.
Step #7: Starting Today, You’re a Web Developer First
Your identity needs to shift. You need to be a web developer first. Your other job, the one you get paid for, isn’t your identity any longer.
Step #8: Stay Inspired
In order to have a no-holds-barred approach to learning, using free time to get inspired is important. Use every minute to effectively learn.
Have a 45-minute commute? Listen to the Ruby Rogues Podcast on the road. At the gym? Listen to Saron’s CodeNewbie Podcast. On the train? Start reading the book: So Good They Can’t Ignore You.
In order to be a web developer, you need to act like one.
I hope this article can serve as a wake-up call for some people!
If you follow these steps, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a web developer. So when you ask yourself, “Gee what am I going to do tonight?” Your answer should be,
Same thing I do every night. Try to become a web developer!
This post is an adaptation of a Milwaukee-based Firehose Project Alumni’s blog post, titled No Excuses.
Published in Techspiration + Ideas + Making It Happen.
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