Here are 7 short steps you can take(steps are in no particular order) to become better at programming.

1. Allow yourself to fail.

You won't always know how to implement a procedure or fix a problem, but go ahead and try it nonetheless. Allow yourself to fail X amount of times to know what not to do. Plus, you have Google and StackOverflow.

2. Be Creative.

There are some many to doing a thing when it comes to programming. Experiment with different approaches and methods, then compare to see which is better.

3. Projects.

Experiment by building projects, embark on a daring project, but not anything way above your knowledge level. Anything that'll make you improve, even if it's a To-Do App. urgh!

4. Critique dat cooode!

Yes, it works, but is it efficient and is that the only way to do it? Think of or google ways to make it better. Think in step 2.

5. Learn from the elders.

Read code from well-respected programmers in the community who code in the language you use. Don't forget to critique their code too, and if possible ask them questions on why they chose to do it the way they did it.

6. Have the hacker mindset.

Break parts of your code to see loopholes. By seeing the loopholes you can implement a robust solution.

7. Fear kills (note to self).

Don't let fear stop you. if you fail, then learn from it and get back to it. Remember that "there are people less qualified than you, doing things you want to do, simply because they decided to take action." I think Jack Ma said that.

Summary.

Maybe this would have been a long article, but that would have been filled with fluff and digression. I believe this is the real deal. Short and straight to point.

Share, like, comment!

Pss! Follow me on Twitter, I post there too.