The creative and funny Reverent Geek weighs in on developer habits
You won't believe what his biggest mistakes involve!
What is made of bacon? Draws funny pictures and create dad joke memes?
The Reverent Geek of course!
David Neal aka the Reverent Geek is a creative and funny developer. He is an artist and musician too.
I recently reached out to him to ask about what are some good programmer habits. This is what he shared.
Patience
He started with this. “I think a good habit for anyone that is frequently faced with the challenge of learning something new is to have a healthy dose of patience.” Did you think of Guns and Roses too?
He continued, “Give yourself time, and forgive yourself when things aren’t progressing as quickly as you hoped.” I feel like he has seen me get frustrated.
We want to fix the code right away. Of course, it doesn't always work that way. Take your time and do it right.
New Job
uses the example of a new job. “We often underestimate how long it will take to adjust to a new role before we ‘feel productive.’” Slow down and learn how things work.
The journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step- Lao Tzu
His advice reminds me of the Zen Buddhist concept of the Beginners Mind. Think of it like a reset button on your computer. Forget all your preconceived notions.
A new job can be a reset moment. Be mindful of the bad habits you may have picked up along the way. Reflect on how you do things.
Practice
Skills take practice. We need to hone them often. David said we need, “little steps of regular practice.” Build it into your daily routine.
“Practice makes perfect. After a long time of practicing, our work will become natural, skillful, swift, and steady.”
— Bruce Lee
One great suggestion is the Code Kata. Similar to learning how to play guitar it takes practice.
Determination
Software development can be a challenging endeavor. There can be days you want to give up. Dave reminds us to keep our, “determination to stick with it.”
Look Back
Then he closed with this advice. “One day you’ll look back and be amazed at how far you’ve come.” As someone who is prone to action, that made me think.
How often do you think about your progress? Perhaps you are even a new developer. You have taken a few steps. Appreciate what you have learned.
Or maybe you are further along in your journey. The experience you have is valuable. Don’t underestimate that. Consider all that you have gleaned over the lines of code.
Be Vulnerable
David has previously shared this post on his blog. He does a great job of modeling vulnerability. Something in short supply in the developer world.
My biggest mistakes had nothing to do with programming.
The most difficult parts of any job, and the most valuable activities of any job, have nothing at all to do with technology.
It’s people. How we value ourselves. How we value others.
I couldn’t agree more! Read it all here.
Ultimately, David is a wonderful example for us all. He shares his expertise with conferences talks, blog posts, and his artwork too.
He started with it and I will end with it. We all need to practice patience. With ourselves and others. Enjoy your career as a software developer. In closing don’t take yourself too seriously.