v0.2 Finding your Infinitely Sustainable Pace
Welcome back to patchNotes! This week, we’ll bust a few myths about “normal” tech career paths and help you find an infinitely sustainable pace for executing your pivot. Whether you’re considering a pivot to tech or already on your way this edition is for you.
🌱 Progress is the Destination
When pursuing a career change, there can often be a desire to try and “catch up” with experienced technology professionals. This type of comparison is a losing battle and one I struggle with myself. As soon as we catch up, we shift the goalposts. It’s a demoralizing trap.
Here's a better idea: compare yourself only to your past self. That’s it. We each have a unique set of circumstances, and there are no fair comparisons because we all start in different places. So just focus on your progress. Not every day is a massive leap forward, but if you are consistent and zoom out far enough, you will see the positive trend.
The biggest “secret” in technology is that it is constantly changing, which is a huge advantage for people who learn to enjoy the process of learning and just stay in the game. You don’t need to be perfect; you just have to keep going. The trick is finding the pace that works for us, not against us.
😫 Avoid Burnout
To sustain forward momentum, you need to avoid burnout. Overworking yourself to achieve your goals is counterproductive. In my former career as an accountant, I blindly climbed the corporate ladder and worked way too much, convinced that I was always one promotion away from peace and happiness. Slowly, I woke up to the fact that I didn’t want my bosses’ job – and what's worse, I didn’t want my job either.
Here's what I’ve come to believe: If you want to be successful at anything, start by failing at it and just keep doing it – but at a pace you can maintain forever. Think back to learning to ride a bike. You likely didn’t practice for eight hours a day. You took it in small doses, shed some tears, and then one day, it was effortless.
Do yourself a huge favor, skip the burnout, and let yourself progress at your own pace. A pace you can keep up for the long term and one I hope you will come to enjoy.
🏃🏽♂️Embrace your Infinitely Sustainable Pace
What does your infinitely sustainable pace look like – the pace you can keep up forever, including the surprises life throws your way? This is a deeply personal question that only you can answer for yourself. But, most of us tend to overestimate our capacity. For example, if you are a single parent working full time, it’s unlikely you will have the time or energy to commit four hours a day to your career pivot – and that’s perfectly ok.
"Slow is smooth, smooth is fast." – adage attributed to the U.S. Navy Seals
Here are some tips for finding your own infinitely sustainable pace and staying on track:
1. Self Assess
List your current commitments, including work, family, health, social life, hobbies, and self-care. If it’s important to you, write it down. What's a reasonable commitment for you? Zero judgments.
2. Use Micro-goals for Habit Formation
Start laughably small. If you think you can do an hour of daily coding practice, start with just 15 minutes and increase it slowly. Small learning goals help you build confidence which leads to big results.
3. Prioritize Health
Exercise and sleep are both proven performance enhancing drugs activities. Prioritize them. Again, start small. If a quick walk around the block is all you can manage right now, great.
4. Break Down Large Goals
If your goal is to “learn to code,” it’s too big. Let’s get specific and actionable. For example: Complete the first module of FreeCodeCamp’s Responsive Web Design course. Now that is a goal that you are more likely to stick to.
5. Build Community
Humans are better together. It’s why you find it easier to get in a workout with a friend. A little socialization helps us stay motivated for the long term. Join local interest groups and meetups. If you can’t find something local, join an online group.
6. Track your progress
Pick your poison: a daily journal, done-list, whiteboard, or habit tracking app. Track your accomplishments but don’t get hung up on perfection; it’s a distraction.
7. Break it up
Our focused attention is limited. Experiment with techniques like Pomodoro to work in short sprints with planned breaks. Effort is amazing, but effort plus rest fuels real progress.
By embracing your own infinitely sustainable pace, you can build a learning habit that will sustain you for your entire career in tech and beyond.
Next up: some common myths that might be derailing your career pivot. 😬
🐛 Bug Fixes: Demystifying The “Normal” Career
The tech industry is shrouded in myth and gatekeeping that raise imaginary barriers for newcomers. Let’s debug a few common myths:
Myth: Everyone in tech has a CS degree.
While many tech workers have CS degrees, many successful software engineers are from non-traditional paths. You’ll find self-taught engineers from just about every background – teaching, accounting, music, and the arts thriving in every major technology company. Don’t take my word for it; go to a local meetup and ask the people in your community about it.
Myth: A career is a straight line.
Careers are rarely linear – except on tv. It’s common to take detours, switch industries, take time off, or step into non-technical roles. Layoffs, burnout, and career pivots are part of many career journeys. Every career is unique.
Myth: You need to know it all upfront.
Imposter syndrome is a very common feeling, but the belief that you must master everything just to get a job is a trap. Tech workers are valuable because of their adaptability and problem solving skills, not for encyclopedic knowledge of every language or framework.
Myth: I’m too old to switch careers.
Many successful software engineers begin their careers in their 30's, 40's, and beyond. Good employers value diverse life and professional experiences from outside the technology industry. Career switchers often bring unique strengths from their previous roles.
The truth: there is no “normal” career. Tech careers are just as varied as the people who build them. Where you start is less important than you fear.
⚡️ Quick Bytes: Daily Coding Practice
Three fun resources to help you build your daily practice:
- Exercism: Perfect for anyone, beginner to expert. Their starter tracks in over 60 languages are a go-to resource for me.
- Codewars: Gamified coding challenges that will help you build proficiency one challenge at a time. I use it to practice the fundamental coding concepts in a fun way.
- John Crickett’s Coding Challenges: A new favorite! Take the guesswork out of “what to build” and join a community of builders. Dive deeper with project ideas that are guranteed to challenge you.
📝 Final Notes
Thanks for reading patchNotes. Every career in technology looks different, and that’s a good thing. I hope you will find the courage to build the career that works for you. Focus on continuing to learn and stick with your infinitely sustainable pace. Keep at it; you’ve got this!
Cheers,
Ian
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