And it all started so well…
When you take your first steps in development, there is a fire in your eyes. You want to endlessly absorb knowledge and write millions of lines of code. But a couple of months pass – and the motivation is gone.
We look at 7 reasons why this happens and tell you what to do about it.
Reason #1: Progress becomes less visible
Beginners are delighted with any mastered tool. Yesterday nothing worked, and today they managed to write their first simple code, which even worked. Their own successes create a feeling of euphoria, and it motivates them to continue working.
Over time, it becomes increasingly difficult to notice progress. When the code is already working, it is difficult to understand whether it has become better. Yes, the new code is more concise and simple, but in fact it performs the same tasks. It seems that there is no progress, and the desire to continue working disappears.
What to do
Evaluate your progress over a longer period of time. For example, not once every couple of days, but once a month – this way the progress will be more obvious.
To get some motivation now, look at the code you wrote when you first started. It was probably too big, with misplaced symbols, duplicates, and more. Chances are you’re not making these obvious mistakes anymore — and that’s a clear sign of progress.
Every time you lose motivation, go back to your old code and remember how far you’ve come.
Reason #2: You grab onto everything in sight
There are so many programming languages, technologies and tools that at the beginning of the journey your eyes run wide. You want to master a lot of things, and at the same time improve your English, so that it would be easier to study. But if there is no focus on one thing, motivation evaporates very quickly.
What to do
Set a clear goal and write a step-by-step algorithm on how to achieve it. This will help you maintain focus.
For example, a novice developer wants to learn JavaScript. He set himself the task of mastering the basics of the programming language. To do this, he made the following action plan:
- Learn JavaScript syntax.
- Understand variables.
- Learn to use operators – arithmetic, logical, conditional and comparisons.
- Master the cycles.
- Learn the functions.
- Write your first simple program, for example, calculating the factorial of a number.
Now he knows what to focus on and won’t be distracted by, for example, the Document Object Model.
Reason #3. No tangible results from the work
Learning always starts with theory, but programming is practice. You probably want to see the results of your work, but when there are no real projects, it is difficult.
Yes, you can do educational tasks, but it often does not bring moral satisfaction. Nobody uses this code to solve real problems, so it may seem that it is not very useful.
What to do
Work on pet projects, for example, create your own website or a simple application like a time tracker. These will be real tasks that bring real benefits – it’s nice to look at such a result, and the pet project can be put in a portfolio.
Reason #4: You’re Tired
This happens, because if you study too much and rest too little, you can simply burn out. The following signs may indicate this:
- The body and muscles hurt.
- My head is splitting, my eyes can no longer look at the screen.
- Poor sleep, you get either too little or too much rest.
This is how the body reacts to overexertion. And there are also emotional signs:
- I don’t want to start studying.
- Procrastination appears.
- Thoughts about education and self-education are alarming.
What to do
It’s trivial – take a rest. It’s best to take a vacation from work, not get involved in any projects, not cram new knowledge into your head, but relax well and get a good night’s sleep. Most likely, motivation will return.
If you don’t have the opportunity to take a vacation, then you can do the following:
- Establish a daily routine. Go to bed and wake up at about the same time, sleep at least 6-8 hours so that the body can recover and the brain can begin to perceive information again.
- Plan interesting activities for the weekend. Try to change the type of activity. Since you spend the entire work week at the computer, try to go to the pool or on a short hike on the weekend. But in general, any kind of recreation that brings joy will be useful.
- Put your studies aside and return to them gradually. When you feel you have the strength to study, do not rush headlong into studying. Return to self-education gradually – for example, half an hour a day. Otherwise, there is a risk of overloading your brain with information and burning out again.
Reason #5: Falling behind in the curriculum
When there are clear deadlines and timelines when studying, it motivates you to study and submit everything on time. But sometimes it works the other way around.
For example, at your main job, you have a lot of things to do and you have to finish them quickly. The boss is rushing you, deadlines are burning – there is no time for studying. And then some family problems arise, and self-education again fades into the background.
When you finally get back to studying, there’s a lot of catching up to do. It’s scary: you don’t know how to close old gaps and keep up with new topics at the same time. It feels impossible, and your motivation fades.
What to do
Eat an elephant in pieces. Even the biggest task won’t be so scary if you break it down into subtasks.
- Paying off student debts sounds very difficult, it’s not clear how to approach it.
- Making a plan to pay off your debts is already easier.
Reason #6: Lack of support
Unfortunately, our loved ones do not always accept our goals and hobbies, so they may throw out careless phrases:
- “Why did you spend so much money on this course? You won’t become an IT specialist anyway.”
- “What, you want a huge salary? You didn’t live rich – there’s no point in starting.”
- “Why are you always messing around with your computer? Go to the factory.”
Such remarks hurt, you lose faith in yourself, and you don’t want to study further.
What to do
Look for support elsewhere. For example, if you’re on a course with feedback, ask your mentor to notice more positive aspects of your projects. Mentors are usually trying to help students get to the end, so they’re happy to praise their work.
Also, training courses usually have a chat for participants. There you can share your experiences with other novice developers – you are probably not alone in your problems.
If you are learning programming on your own, join specialized communities and ask more experienced developers to tell you what difficulties they encountered at the beginning of their journey. Most likely, they managed to overcome them, which means you can too.
Reason #7: Can’t monetize skills
Usually people come to IT for interesting tasks and good fees. But when you can’t find a job for several months in a row, you start to doubt your own competence.
Thoughts like this appear:
- “I will never be noticed”
- “Others are much better than me”
- “Why did I even come here?”
- “It’s just not my thing”
In general, impostor syndrome straightens your shoulders and steals your desire to learn.
What to do
Accept that finding a job quickly is not always possible. And it’s not about you, but about the market – on average, a beginner developer searches for the first project from three months to a year. So if you still haven’t received the offer of your dreams, don’t despair and keep responding.