5 Tips That Will Help You Stay Motivated As A Programmer

Stay motivated as a programmer is one of the most important aspects of your job. If you’re not inspired to get out of bed and code every day, it can be hard to focus on the task at hand. However, staying motivated as a programmer doesn’t have to be challenging. In fact, with just a few practical tips, you can stay motivated as a programmer and break through any programming plateau. Stay Motivated As A Programmer Tips That Will Help You Succeed As A Software Developer

Keep learning and stay inspired

There’s no such thing as “programmer’s brain.” We don’t suddenly become more intelligent and competent just because we have a computer science degree. We need to keep learning new things, and keep using our skills in new and creative ways. That’s one of the reasons why I love to code so much. It forces me to learn new things, and keeps me motivated to use the skills I have in new and creative ways. If you feel like you’ve hit a programming rut, spend some time re-immersing yourself in fundamentals like algorithms and data structures. Think about how you can learn from your mistakes, and apply the lessons you’ve learned from them. Keep learning and staying inspired to code will keep you motivated as a programmer.

Set a growth mindset

The most successful programmers in the world are those who have a growth mindset. Programming is a craft that can be mastered, but it can’t be mastered overnight. Just because you have a computer science degree and have been coding for 10 years doesn’t mean you’re more intelligent and competent than someone who started programming as a hobby a decade ago. If you feel like you’ve hit a programming plateau, try shifting your mindset. Set yourself the goal of improving, but don’t define that improvement as reaching the “next level” of programming skill. Instead, define your improvement as learning and growing as a programmer.

Make your environment functional and colourful

One of the best ways to stay motivated as a programmer is to keep your workspace functional and colourful. You don’t need a fancy setup in order to stay motivated as a programmer. All you need is a functional and colourful workspace, a chair that supports your back, and a computer that you can log into. If you feel like you’ve hit a programming plateau, try sprucing up your workspace. Set up a functional and colourful workspace that you can log into whenever you feel like coding. You might even want to set a reminder on your phone to log into your computer whenever you have a few spare minutes.

Find a mentor or a coworking buddy who inspires you

If you’re at a programming plateau, one of the best ways to break through it is to work with a mentor or a coworking buddy who inspires you. Most programming communities have experienced, experienced developers who are more than happy to help, mentor, or inspire other programmers. If you don’t know who to ask, try searching for or creating a community-based Slack channel or Slackbot focused on helping other programmers stay motivated as programmers. You can find tons of communities like these on Facebook and Reddit.

Find what drives you as a programmer

If you feel like you’ve hit a programming rut, try shifting your focus to what drives you as a programmer. What are some of the biggest challenges and problems you want to solve as a programmer? What problem types do you want to solve with your programming skillset? What problems do you want to solve with the technology you work with? When you shift your focus to what drives you as a programmer, you’ll find that you’re way more effective at staying motivated as a programmer.

Final words

Achieving your goals as a programmer can be hard. The best way to stay motivated as a programmer is to keep your skillset sharp and your environment functional and colourful. If you find yourself hitting a programming plateau, shift your focus to what drives you as a programmer and you’ll break through it in no time.