So you have decided you want to become a developer. Or you would love to, but your decision is always postponed by that dreaded lack of time.
If you had more time, surely you would do it, but you have a job, the kid is there, the house needs cleaning, groceries need shopping, and, of course, you need to save those last bits of social life you got left.
It’s too late now. It could have been great, but it’s a fact - THERE. IS. NO. TIME.
Or is there?
Priorities, my friend
To put it clearly: If it’s not your priority it won’t get done.
From the moment you decide that becoming a developer is your priority, those decisions will become easier.
Treat this like preparing for an exam - everybody is learning as much as possible when the exam term is on. You might even feel awesome writing code at home while most people go out to parties.
Don’t compare your time with others
There is a lot of info online on the amount of hours you need to invest each day to succeed. People often say that they are spending 4+ hours each day learning to code.
I read those numbers many times and I got depressed. I was spending maybe 2 hours every other day. Sometimes even less.
I felt like I had no chance.
I just can’t spend 4 hours each day on learning. With 9-10 hours blocked with my job and commute, 6-7 hours blocked for sleep, 3-4 hours spent with my newborn, and an hour used for chores, I was left with around 2 hours a day to spend on learning.
Alas, some days I work overtime, someone has a birthday, or maybe somebody at home gets sick… just from making a rough estimate, it seems like there is not enough time to make a career switch.
Nevertheless, I decided to be ruthless and cut out everything that I could to steal as much time as possible.
Methods to steal time
You can swap almost any activity for learning - except for the inevitable duties (job, spouse, kids, household).
For example:
movies/TV shows
video games
social media
going out for beer/coffee
binge-watching recommended videos on that addicting platform
shopping
thinking about shopping
even ironing (!!)
…all of those things can be sacrificed if you want to achieve that goal.
Say no to all of the above (and more) to obtain a couple of hours every day!
Additionally, use focus mode (or airplane mode) on your phone to completely remove distractions during study time.
Squeeze every last minute
With your time on a budget, it’s a good idea to find ways to squeeze every last bit of it. To do this, transform your phone into a device for learning!
Delete social media apps. Except maybe LinkedIn, depending on the type of person you are and the type of people you follow. LinkedIn is thriving with people who create content relevant for software developers (more on that in a future article). However, it is still a social media platform so you must be careful not to spend too much time reading those posts.
Leverage podcasts, blogs, and ebooks.
Steal time during your commute. Watch course lessons on your phone while riding a bus or listen to relevant podcasts while walking.
Steal time from your chores. Listen to podcasts while washing dishes, cooking meals, and maybe even while taking a shower…
Be creative, find what works for you.
I applied the methods above to learn almost constantly.
Just a disclaimer here - nothing is as valuable as actual coding time. You can watch and read all you want, but unless you practice what you have learned, don’t expect to get far. Don’t get me wrong, definitely read up on theoretical concepts, but be sure to check your takeaways in a small console app or so.
Takeaways
Make it a priority (consider this a prerequisite)
Say no to things that don’t bring you closer to your goal. This will bring you the biggest chunks of time.
Use every other possible moment to read, watch, or listen. Your phone can help you with this.
That’s all for this issue, I hope you found it helpful. Next time I will talk about setting goals - make sure not to miss it.