Programming can be tough, and when you hit a difficult problem, it can be hard to stay motivated. But don't worry! There are tons of seasoned coders on DEV who undoubtedly have tips to help you stay focused and motivated. Here are a few ideas:
- Take a break: Sometimes, the best thing you can do is step away from the problem for a little while. 😌 When you come back to the problem, you may see it in a new light.
- Break. It. Down. When a problem seems too big to tackle, try breaking it down into smaller pieces. This can make it feel more manageable and help you make progress. ✨
- Get help: Don't be afraid to ask for help! ✋🏻 Reach out to a friend, classmate, or mentor for assistance. Or post your query here on DEV! 🌈 Sometimes, talking through the problem with someone else can help you see a solution.
- Celebrate small wins: When you make progress, no matter how small, take a moment to celebrate! 🎉 Recognizing your accomplishments can help you stay motivated and keep going.
- Remember why you started: When you're feeling discouraged, remind yourself of why you started programming in the first place. Keeping your goals in mind can help you stay focused and motivated.😎
What other tips can you share or elaborate on? Let’s keep each other motivated!
Top comments (16)
Challenges and problems are what keep me motivated. Nothing worse than boring, handle turning programming that always works. Solving problems is (or should be) what we do. The job would be boring otherwise.
Whenever I hit a particularly hard problem, I find it helpful to start working on things close to the problem and expanding my knowledge around the problem space. Usually it's a mix of several things that I need to understand to solve it, and if I can expand my context surrounding the issue I'm able to approach it from other directions.
Oh dude, I think this term sounds as critical mass. You collect knowledge bit by bit until the cup of insight outweighs your problem
Yeah, I think that's a really good way to look at it.
Go to sleep and wake up the next day that usually does the trick
Or take a nap. i usually cannot go to sleep knowing something is looming. I was the dishes. but obviously first i gotta eat lol.
I sweep I clean I mop. i usually get the best ideas then. because I kinda zone out I go zen. lol
exactly :)
Chocolate
not good for the blood sugar that stuff is poison....as loveable as it is....Ludacris once said :"why is it that all the things that are not good for me make me feel so gooood???"
Coffee, lots and lots of Coffee
Curiosity helps keep me motivated. If the app displays some unexpected behavior, I want to know why it's doing that. How can I track it down? What will I discover? How will I fix it? My brain gets hooked on those questions. If one thing doesn't work, I think of three more things to try because I really want to get to the bottom of that mystery.
And look back to when you started and the things you know now that you didn't know then.
The things that looked arcane then that look trivial now and how you overcame them then.
You will see how much you know. and how you are not just a noob.
You can teach someone a thing or two. You are a bwoss at what you do.
You can write them down and list them.
And remember you are one in a million.many give up to the thought. many give up just from looking at html and many give up somewhere mid css but many hold on and go on.
That is us. that is you and that is me.
That is why we are here together because we know the path is not easy.
But we are together part of an exclusive club. outsiders look at us and point at us and say:"Them they. Those computer guys!!!".
They over hear us talking that lingo!!!! and using them technical terms!!!
The ladies cant wait to be updated and their boyfriends cant stand the thought. They wanna format their memory of it. But we go nowhere we are a const not a variable.
I often take break and look for inspiration from other developers or projects.
I find momentum helps me - so when I have a set of challenges, I make sure I'm up to speed by doing some simpler things to get me flowing, then step in to or back to harder challenges.