Sentences like "Learning programming is very fun, I learned it very easily" or I learned programming in a very short time and soon got my first job as a software developer," is a fantasy, far from reality. When you start learning to program, you'll have a hard time looking like one of the hardest things you've ever been through. The process is not only about learning a new skill, it is about adopting a new way of thinking, and learning to see things differently.
In the early stages of learning when you're having a lot of mistakes, and the program starts notifying you of your software mistakes one by one, you may think you can't do something right, despair sneaks into yourself, and your head is filled with negative thoughts and you feel in the wrong place. Motivating yourself and finding the motivation to continue learning may be one of the hardest things you'll face when you're frustrated, and motivation is one of the most common titles in technical gatherings, so don't think you're the only one going through it.
Celebrate your little achievements
Watch your progress and appreciate your learning process, every day you take a step forward whether you continue to learn, you learn something new every day, or increase the mastery of a skill you have gained by practicing it, even if you are stuck in a matter of what you are trying every day to solve it and try a new style, you should appreciate yourself on your diligence and give yourself the right of reward for your efforts, look at what you have accomplished and not what is left of you, what you have learned should not be big and subtle to deserve to Celebrate, after every achievement, treat yourself to a little reward, play a game you love, or do something that makes you happy even if it's relaxing and having a cup of coffee! Don't neglect to reward yourself, it's one of the most important motivational factors.
Avoid flooding yourself with work
Don't bother learning, the enthusiasm of the beginning may take you, and spending a lot of time in front of your device may stay up late or wake up earlier than usual to start learning, you may benefit from this pattern in the short term but in the long run, this pressure may result in fatigue and boredom that leads you to surrender, it is logical and realistic to set you during the day acceptable hours to learn and commit to this much do not tolerate it and in return do not burden yourself over it, even if it is half an hour at first, if you're doing it for a whole week, you've completed three and a half hours of learning, within 14 hours, and over 150 hours during the year, which is a very large number. Small efforts when combined with commitment lead to amazing results. On the other hand, don't devote this time at the end of your day to it, and you're exhausted and your daily tasks have taken most of your energy, but make it the first thing you do when you wake up or the first part of your day with your full activity and focus.
Make your vision of the goals clear
Set yourself a goal at the finish line that will motivate you to continue, for example, to get a job so that you can support yourself until your job is flexible or so that you can work independently remotely, or without a boss!.
Your vision should be clear because it is what drives you daily to do your bed and urges you to do your work, and to help yourself to this clarity write your goal and put it in a clear place in front of you to remind you every time you slacken and re-energize you, it should not be something luxurious or a fancy sticker enough to be a small sheet hanging on your computer screen so you can see it every time you remember yourself with light at the end of the tunnel.
When you start learning to choose one thing and start with it immediately, don't look forward to reading, searching, and seeing, just open a new project and start working immediately, your first project should not be sophisticated or complex, start with small ideas such as hello world, celebrate your small achievement by working on it and then move on to what is higher than it and so the goal is to stop thinking and start implementing.
You have to set yourself goals that are compatible with your reality so you don't fail to achieve them, in the end, just know that everyone moves at their own speed. Try measuring your progress and don't prepare yourself for failure by having unrealistic expectations.
Accept your little failures.
The learning process is not easy and requires you to think in ways you have never thought of before, and you will make a lot of mistakes, and you may feel frustrated and narrow it is okay, all this is part of the learning process and a stage that everyone has to go through.
Don't compare yourself to others.
It is unfair if you compare yourself on your first day to the gym and you are a beginner to who is an expert and spends most of his time practicing!, as well as in your programming career it does not make sense to compare your effort and achievement with others, each of you comes from a different background and the quality of different thinking, who lived his life in a scientific or mathematical engineering environment is not like someone who spent most of his time in critical thinking and philosophical discussion, for example, comparing with others different abilities and backgrounds is frustrating and useless Don't try to compete with anyone.
Don't be yourself, especially if you're a beginner, you see the bright side of your predecessors, but you lose sight of the time and effort they've put in to get where they are now, and you haven't seen how many hours they've spent learning, developing and refining their skills to reach their glory. Compare yourself only to yourself and seek to be better and more sophisticated today than you were yesterday. Believe in yourself, your intelligence, and development, and don't think that there's anyone better or smarter than you who can solve what you can't solve or reach an amount you can't reach, convincing yourself of your ability and ability to get you out of the comfort zone and help you learn the most difficult issues. It's all on your mind.
Take time off
Never underestimate the time you spend resting, it helps clear your mind, and gives you a clearer view of the issues you might be stuck with, leave what you're doing and go for a walk, or do anything you love and then come back, sure it'll look easier than you thought. Spending time on hobbies and other activities is important for mental and physical health, especially hobbies based on instinct response and physical movement, as it allows your mind to rest from thinking and spend more time acting and interacting instinctively, giving the analytical side of your mind a vacation and giving the instinctive side a chance to walk around freely. Another useful alternative to taking a break is to busy yourself with another simple software project that you enjoy regardless of the size of the project and revive the feeling of achievement, returning to your previous project with the same vitality and optimistic thinking to find solutions.
If you are upset, we hope these tips will help you find the motivation to continue your educational journey.
What about you? How do you stay motivated when learning to program?
