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Discussion on: How do you handle lack of self-confidence and career-numbing doubt?

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Ross Bates

Hey Mohmed - what you are feeling is not uncommon. And as others have mentioned, you're already on the right path by recognizing how you feel, and being open and honest in addressing it.

Dealing with issues of self-confidence and doubt is a complicated issue. The root causes might not have anything to do with the quality of your code, or your levels of productivity.

The first 2 questions that pop into my head when reading your post are these:

  1. Is writing code something you love doing?

There's no right or wrong answer here. I know many incredibly talented programmers that consider coding their "job" and don't spend any time on software outside of their 9-5. It would help to understand where you draw your motivation from.

  1. How are you defining failure?

You mentioned failure twice. What leads you to believe you are not making progress? What sort of expectations are you placing on yourself and are they realistic?

Something that helps me when feeling overwhelmed or discouraged is to remember that there is always a path forward to a positive outcome. Even if you can't see it, it exists... like right now. Don't see it? That's ok, it's still there.