How can you stay motivated when programming becomes repetitive?
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Programming can be a rewarding and creative activity, but it can also become tedious and frustrating when you have to deal with repetitive tasks, bugs, or deadlines. How can you stay motivated and avoid burnout when programming becomes boring or challenging? Here are some tips to help you keep your passion and enthusiasm for coding.
One of the reasons why programming can become repetitive is that you have to work on projects that are too big, complex, or vague. This can make you feel overwhelmed, stuck, or bored. To avoid this, try to break down your projects into smaller and more manageable goals that you can achieve in a reasonable time frame. This will help you track your progress, celebrate your achievements, and feel more motivated to continue.
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Kourosh Ebrahiminejad
Senior Software Engineer (ASP.NET Core | Rest API | OOP | SOLID | SQL Server | xUnit | SDLC) | Payment Gateways Expert
I think it really depends on the developer's attitude & passion, but general speaking I think developers : - Must always take care of their passion & motivations. They should monitor the current situation and assess the new opportunities according to their goals an passions. - Must escape from comfort zone and go into new technical challenges (Learning a new skill / Going deep in an existing skill)
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Nestor Urquiza
Securely Localizing International Organizations
When programming becomes repetitive, then you are no longer programming. This is because an important part of programming is to automate repetitive tasks (DRY). For example, you divide your project in API documentation, a controllers layer, a service layer and a DAO layer. Every single new entity that you need to manage demands you to create an entry in your API definition, build a controller, build a service, build a DAO. But instead you figure one day that a better approach is to have a utility that builds the scaffolds of that boilerplate for you, and before you know it you have created a framework that other developers use to deliver non-repetitive code. Design, build and maintain. The engine you build repeats stuff, not you, engineer.
Another way to stay motivated when programming becomes repetitive is to learn something new. This can be a new skill, tool, language, or framework that you are interested in or that can help you improve your work. Learning something new can challenge you, spark your curiosity, and expand your horizons. It can also help you avoid getting stuck in a rut and keep your programming skills up to date.
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Reza Mansouri
Back End Developer at HPH Co | .NET Enthusiast
Break down the task: Breaking down the task into smaller achievable parts can help you stay motivated. You can set small goals and reward yourself when you achieve them. Inject creativity: Finding ways to inject creativity into your work can make it more interesting. You can add a personal touch to your work or find creative solutions to problems. Connect with others: Connecting with others who share your interests can help you stay motivated. You can join online communities, attend meetups, or find a mentor. Stay positive: Maintaining a positive attitude and mindset can help you stay motivated. You can focus on the positive aspects of your work and find meaning and purpose in it.
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Sunitha S
Technology Lawyer / Blockchain /AI/QC/Data Privacy/Company Secretary
Learning something new always helps. For example, exploring the intersection of Python (for AI) and Solidity (for blockchain) can open up exciting opportunities at the convergence of artificial intelligence and blockchain technology. You could leverage Python to develop AI applications that enhance the functionality of blockchain systems or create smart contracts using Solidity that incorporate AI algorithms. Learning something new not only breaks the monotony but also enhances your skills and opens up new possibilities. I hope this helps.
Sometimes, programming can become repetitive because you feel isolated, unappreciated, or misunderstood. This can affect your motivation and confidence. To overcome this, seek feedback and support from other programmers, mentors, colleagues, or friends. Feedback and support can help you improve your work, learn from your mistakes, and appreciate your strengths. They can also help you cope with stress, frustration, or doubt.
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Rudra Sekhri
Astronomer | Environmentalist | Author | Public Speaker | Researcher | OzGrav | UTMOST | IAAC Ambassador | OzGreen Facilitator | Content Creator | Music Producer | School Captain 2023
Often when working with others, especially if they're clients, try to send them updates on the project, so that they can celebrate the progress with you and you can also showcase and celebrate your progress as well. It'll also give you an opportunity to get regular feedback and hence make a better final product
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Rajesh Chittampally
Full Stack Engineer | Angular | Vuejs | Docker | React | AWS
Sometimes everything seems to be not working in your favour and it is not good for your personal and professional growth. When you find yourself in that kind of situation, try talking to your colleagues, and mentors, and ask them what you can do to come out of it
Another tip to stay motivated when programming becomes repetitive is to make it fun. This can mean different things for different programmers, but some examples are: adding some humor, creativity, or personality to your code or comments; gamifying your tasks or goals; rewarding yourself for completing a challenge or solving a problem; or listening to music, podcasts, or audiobooks while coding. Making it fun can help you enjoy the process, relax, and reduce boredom.
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Manohar Grandhi
Get rid of Insomnia forever in 45 days with the Insomnia Switch-Off Method™️.I help IT professionals to sleep well and stay on top of their game. Talk to me if you want freedom from Insomnia. Author "My Sleepless Nights”
One of the core things when it comes to the brain is that it loves pleasure and avoids pain. When we make the process fun, we are going in the natural desired state of the brain and it helps us in moving forward and create the best output.
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Rudra Sekhri
Astronomer | Environmentalist | Author | Public Speaker | Researcher | OzGrav | UTMOST | IAAC Ambassador | OzGreen Facilitator | Content Creator | Music Producer | School Captain 2023
My personal favourite: Listening to music, especially music that keeps the energy going. I would prefer instrumentals (no vocal songs) over ones with vocals because one can get distracted because of the vocals. That being said, this is just my personal opinion. There are many other ways to reduce the amonut of boredom, such as taking regular breaks.
Finally, one of the most important ways to stay motivated when programming becomes repetitive is to take breaks. Programming can be mentally and physically demanding, and working for long hours without rest can lead to fatigue, stress, or burnout. Taking breaks can help you recharge your energy, clear your mind, and refresh your perspective. You can use your breaks to do something different, such as exercise, meditate, read, or socialize.
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Judith Böhlert
Freelance Software Engineer. Trying to find calm in the chaos of tech.
I find that especially frequent, small breaks throughout the day help me to stay motivated. I use these tiny breaks to play the ukulele for a few minutes or practice some handstands - finding fun ways to break up the day and recharge can help a lot when feeling bored.
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Luannie Dang 👩🏻💻
Co-Founder at Pory - Airtable to Portal Magic 💥
I find that I start getting fog brain and less productive when I code for extended hours. I started using a primodona timer recently and that has really helped me focus. The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method that uses a timer to break work into intervals, traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks.
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Nick Polyderopoulos
Principal Developer at Enterprise Registry Solutions
Sometimes when a task gets repetitive there is a hidden automation opportunity. When I find myself in situations like that I look for ways to automate or make the process faster, that way I utilize the repetition of the work to become creative again. Hope that helps, Best,
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Ashvin Lakshmikantha
Helping Customers create World Records
If programming is repetitive, it could mean that the job has taught you everything you need to learn. This is either a time/place for a promotion or a lateral movement.