I have been coding on and off since 2005 when I was about 13 years old. When I say on and off, I really mean that. I would be into coding for weeks or months on end and then not code at all for a couple of years even. This overall fits into how I approach most things….blowing hot and cold in irregular bursts. While over 17 years I have gained quite a bit of knowledge in coding using this approach it is inefficient.

Especially in the last few years as I became a full-time Product Manager working with very talented (and sometimes not so talented) engineers, I’ve felt the urge to seriously improve my own coding skills. Ideally to the level where it could be a legitimate alternate career. Even if that doesn’t pan out coding appeals to me as a purely intellectual exercise and one where I want to develop mastery and achieve excellence.

I’m doing a couple of things to prevent this from going off the rails like all of my previous intiatives and passionate dives into coding.

  1. Be clear about the short, medium and long-term goals document them and commit.
  2. Set a clear structure and approach by looking at suggested roadmaps
  3. Just do it. Use Atomic Habits to help ensure commitment does not flag (as in so many other things in life)
  4. Don’t force fit a schedule but defintely aim for milestones and achievements.
  5. Don’t be discouraged by short-term lapses in concentration. This is a long-run thing. Also don’t be afraid to relearn things.

I want to document my journey here both as a way of recording and sharing what I learn but also to act as a forcing function. So expect more of these posts in the future. If not this post will stand as a monument to grand ambitions not backed up by implementation.