5 TIPS on learning to code:

1. Discover your why? your real motivation:

1. What would you like to build?
2. Do you want to learn simply to get a better job?
3. Your reason goes here…

Any reason is 100% fair, just define it so you are aware of why are you investing time and money in this new skill you want to learn.

2. Define your when. How much time do you really have to invest in it.

I would plan first by hours per month, then break it down to hours per week.  Committing “x” number of hours per day has never worked for me, because my work schedule is not fixed, somedays are busier than others, and some days I just want to work out and relax instead of sitting down and start coding.

But If I commit “x hours per week is easier to achieve during the days I find more time and energy to do so.
It gives me the flexibility and freedom I need with a defined amount of commitment I also need to get things done.

3. Think long term

A good friend told me once: “People overestimate what they can get done in a day, but they all underestimate what they can get done in a year”

Define your yearly goal, and define a 5 year Vision.

How do see yourself in 5 years with this new skill and experience of coding?

4. Define a budget for it $$$

How much are you willing to invest in learning? It is fine if you decide you cannot invest money in it.

By investment I also refer as the amount of time you will allocate to learn. Because in the end time is money. The amount of time you invest in learning is the amount of time you won’t be able to invest in working and producing money. So even if It is time what you are investing it is always good to define what each hour of your productive time is worth and define what time=money are you committing to invest in learning.

This perspective will also help you not to waste time or get that easily distracted because you will be aware of how much your time is worth 😉

5. Look for a mentor / Friend / supporter & “Google it!”

If you have the chance; look for a friend that works as a developer, someone who will help you when you get stuck in your code. Even if you only meet up once a week. It can be more than one person so you don’t annoy the same person every time.

In case you don’t have anyone available for help then your best friend will always be Google, any time you get stuck simply ask your coding question in google and it will take you to the right community where you’ll find your answer. (eg. Stackoverflow, w3schools, thesitewizard, echoecho, computerhope etc, etc)

** And last but not least: JUST DO IT!

All this is something I have to keep reminding myself every week, every time I have too much work at the office and I’m too tired to put myself into keep learning and getting another part of my blog done.

Hope you are all better than me and you will manage to learn and build amazing things faster than you imagine! 😀 please share with me as much as you feel like about your journey and most importantly about the things you are building ! 😀