Do you ever wake up in the morning, and the last thing you want to do is to open your IDE and code ? How about the mornings when you wake up, get out of bed ready to take on the world? What is the difference between those two scenarios? Motivation. Motivation compels us to set goals, and more importantly drives us towards them. If you want to know how to tap into the power of motivation, then read on.
1. Know what you want
What is the point of motivation if you don't know what you want? Without having a clear vision of exactly what you desire out of your coding career, you won't be able to build up enough motivation to get through the obstacles and challenges you are sure to face in a field where problem solvings are prevalent.
2. Know why you want it
This step is just as important as knowing what you want. Why do you want to reach specific goals? Why do you want to be a developer ? What will it mean to your life to reach those goals? Think about all the people in your life that you don't want to let down. These are the "whys," and they are essential to drive your motivation.
3. Set goals that excite you
It's beneficial to set reasonable goals that are easy to reach such as learning a new coding langage (Python is hot right now) or becoming better a TDD. I would never suggest stopping that. However, it can also help to set some relatively wild or audacious goals (build a robust app , land a job at a FAANG company). These goals might seem out of reach right now, but the thought of reaching them in the future might motivate you in the present.
4. Track and measure your results
Tracking and measuring your progress is key to motivation. When you can actually see your efforts paying off, your motivation will naturally rise. If you don't track and measure, how else will you know if you are making progress?
5. Reward yourself
If you are tracking your progress, make sure you reward yourself as well. Rewarding yourself will ensure that you stay motivated. You are more likely to keep plugging away when you can see that reward getting closer and closer.
6. Use your network
Building accountability through your network or social media is a great idea. When you have a big goal you want to achieve, let the people in your life know. Besides them potentially helping you along the way (this is so true in dev community ), it will also make you more accountable. The funny thing is, we are more likely to let ourselves down than our loved ones.
7. Take action
Have you ever sat down to work, and you just couldn't get started? Sometimes all it takes to give your motivation a little boost is to accomplish one simple task. Pick the single, most straightforward thing you can do towards any of your goals and do it. Most likely, this will motivate you to take on the next challenge.
8. Find your inspiration
People get inspired by different things. If you want to maximize your motivation, then you need to figure out what inspires you. Maybe it's a specific type of music . Perhaps it's a view from your house. It could be a motivational speaker or celebrity. Find out what inspires you and schedule some time to immerse yourself in it each day.
Take notes of these 8 pillars of motivation and step into a motivated life , a motivated software career . You got this
Romeo A.