If you still haven’t found the happiness between your code lines, this text may be helpful to you!
I'm not such a great or a famous developer, but today I'm a realized developer and someone who really love and enjoy what I do.
But, what is the magic recipe to reach that satisfaction level with your job?
There's no magic formula! In the world of development, specially at the front-end development universe, you must follow a set of steps to make even better projects, with easiness and pleasure.
These tips are destinated to the ones who already are developers or to the ones who want to enter this mystic and growind world called Front-end (my current job role), but certainlly can be applied in any area, either development or not.
1) Learn something new EVERYDAY
A new language, a new speech, a new methodology, a new framework or a new way to do something you already know how to do — exercise your brain! It's good for your health and for your career. Like any body's muscle, your brain needs an exercise routine. Beyond optimizations and new discoveries you can make, you can search for specific and oriented activities, like this Aline Bastos' repo at Github, with a lot of code challenges.
2) Take note of your progress
Sometimes we look to our old projects and think "how does it work?" — take a look with another eyes and analyze how much you evolved since there! Take little steps, celebrate each new achievement and you'll have a clear view from where you are now and where you want to get.
Spreadsheets, lists, git-flow, here you can unleash your imagination and use any or all the tools that technology offers you!
3) Stay tuned at the Community
Forums, FAQs, study groups (Facebook, Telegram), Github, Stack Overflow — there's always someone needing help and someone who wants to help. Do your part in the knowledge's circulation and dissemination, this will help you to stay tuned at new tendencies, tools and methodologies. Here we can quote "teach to learn", because the best way to learn is to teach someone about it.
4) Put yourself on the user's shoes
If you have work to do, that's a good sign — the user is using your product/service. The better your product/service is, the most it'll be used (of course!). So, always give a good experience for the user, a good interface with easy assimilation and use — if he likes it, for sure he will come back and even recommend your brand.
Use the inbound marketing methodology and turn your visitor into your customer, and after he'll become a promoter of your product/service. To get there, always offer quality and added value to your user.
Would you use the product/service that you develop?
5) Know how to handle people
In the world you won't handle only codes, you'll handle a lot of people — and they're inconstant and unpredictable. Having a good interpersonal relationship is fundamental in this area — either with your squad, customers, family, colleagues… Everyone has something to offer, and the manner you absorb it is the key piece of it all.
Verbal, written and body communcation are your great allies at this point. Many developers have such fantastic ideas, but mostly they can't communicate it to their colleagues. To solve it, you must have a great vocabulary and always be concise and direct when you need to expose your opinion or your ideas. Besides being a good speaker, also have to be a good listener!
“When you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. But if you listen, you may learn something new.” — Dalai Lama
6) Know how to handle your ego
Receive compliments for the good job done is very good — and it's fair too. But, don't let it became a purpose, it only must be your job's consequence. Nobody likes superb people, even more in the tech world — humility will take you further. Never let your ego clash on your way to success! It's very connected with a good interpersonal relationship.
People come and go, but the knowledge remains.
7) Be flexible and smooth
Every day a new JavaScript framework is born — it's not a joke. The world doesn't belong to the strongest, it belongs to those who adapt faster! You don't have to know everything, but you must have a good idea of what each tool can and can't offer you, always pondering the best choice when you will start a new project.
Listen to your squad/team, have brainstormings and make diagrams if needed, but don't be shy to ask for help. Always have a lot of impressions and possibilities surrounding you — this way you can be sure you'll be taking the right path.
Oldest comments (5)
I just love programming. Reason is the sparse moments I am in God-mode.
A co-developer once told me that as a developer you can be in God mode when everything falls to its right place and you are on top of the world. Since there can be no heaven without a hell, there is also the opposite, which is dog mode. That is when your code won't compile without any reason, clear and obvious code does other things that it is supposed to do and you lose unsaved work.
Dog mode is terrible, but the moments I am in God mode, make up SOOO much for it...
God mode is also known as being in the Flow State which is also hackable to a certain extent (there are conditions and practices that you can do to try and get there more easily).
What I especially like about the God/dog mode comparison is that they are completely opposites, both in nature and spelling.
And like all training programs they require rest.
I know you mean well but no one should be pressuring themselves to learn something every day. When you spend thinking 9-5 monday to friday it feels nice to actually not think from time to time.
This is so true. Learning something new everyday, is impractical. Unless you're just starting out or you don't have a 9-5, yet.