Stop Pressuring Yourself

Not being so hard on yourself in programming is essential to evolve gradually in the field. Because it involves so many topics related to innovation, we create the false illusion that we can keep up with the fast learning curve and the processes that encompass the area.

There is a natural learning curve for those who have never programmed before and are just starting out to understand what it takes. Of course, writing code lately is very different from what it was before the first appearance of generative AI models. When they emerged, it felt like a real punch to the gut in the dev world, definitely changing the current model of software development and how to evolve in the field as a self-taught learner. With AI generating code in seconds, the pressure to learn everything instantly has increased, but the truth is that human learning takes time.

After all, the quality of your learning is directly related to the focus sessions you dedicate to it. In general, there is no magic formula for how to evolve, especially in technology.

Personal Experiences

I graduated a few years ago and am currently finishing my postgraduate degree, already thinking about a master's and a PhD. After all, I believe one of my purposes with technology is to contribute directly through research and articles. And obviously, I will document everything right here.

Throughout these years of my career, I've been around teams with different types of people and ways of working. Everything depends on well-defined task distribution; you are not Super-IT, so don't act like it. I know it's extremely hard not to compare ourselves with great software developers like Linus Torvalds, Kent Beck, or Martin Fowler, but if we stop to think about it, there's a high probability they weren't putting all this pressure on themselves. They just kept doing their work, day after day, one step at a time. And that is exactly the point I want to make.

Give It Time

This phrase sounds very cliché because we've trivialized how we use it. Especially because we are young and driven by thoughts of moving up in life, which makes us give 300% all the time. I don't think it's 100% wrong to do that; we just need to better direct those efforts into projects—things that are actually worth a few sleepless nights.

But how do we identify them? After all, this blog post is about not being so hard on yourself. And the blunt answer I bring is: I don't know.

I don't know because my reality is certainly different from yours. I don't know because we probably have different goals.

But as an ultimate goal, what I've learned is that small, constant leaps push us further than wide, inefficient ones. And that's when we stop putting so much pressure on ourselves, whether in programming or in our personal lives. Consistency is a determining factor for us to go even further, and when it comes to technology, we also need patience. We weren't born knowing everything, and the more we pressure ourselves to learn or understand something, the harder that task becomes.

Conclusion

let pressure = true
let pressureValue = 200

if (pressure && pressureValue >= 100){
    throw new Error("Stop pressuring yourself")
}