Introduction
A while ago, I embarked on a personal coding challenge known as the “100 Days of Code.” While this challenge is typically associated with sharing daily progress on social media, I decided to take a slightly different approach and keep mostly to myself. My goal was to commit to GitHub every day for 100 consecutive days, documenting my coding journey outside of my regular job in the tech industry. Today marks the 100th day of this endeavor, and as I reflect on this experience, I’ve realized that it was about more than just technical skill development.
Unexpected Challenges
At the outset, I thought this challenge would primarily be a technical one. After all, it’s called “100 Days of Code” and I already had some coding experience from my job in tech. However, I quickly discovered that it presented a unique set of challenges beyond the technical aspect.
The Creative Dilemma
One of the most unexpected challenges was akin to writer’s block. With coding outside of work, I faced the question: What did I want to code? What did I feel like building? This dilemma proved to be one of the most daunting aspects of the challenge. Nevertheless, I embraced it and ended up creating a diverse range of projects, from useful tools to complete websites and even this very blog. I learned not to judge the size or significance of my commits – no update was too small. Sometimes it was a simple calculator; other times, it was a full-blown website using Next.js.
Battling Boredom
Another significant challenge was the battle against boredom. In the initial stages of any endeavor, motivation often comes naturally from the novelty of the experience. However, after a few weeks, I found my enthusiasm waning. I even questioned whether I still wanted to be a software engineer. It felt as though I was “forced to code” at work, and I was “forcing” myself to code at home when I didn’t necessarily want to. There were periods when it felt grueling, but I pushed through and discovered important lessons in perseverance.
Overcoming Self-Consciousness
As someone who considers themselves an entry-level programmer, sharing my code and thought process on GitHub initially made me anxious. However, after 100 days, I realized that hardly anyone was watching. Instead, what people noticed was an improvement in my skills and demeanor at work. My confidence grew steadily throughout this project.
Unforeseen Benefits
Along this 100-day journey, I unexpectedly gained several benefits:
Tech Enthusiasm and Mentorship
Because I constantly had code and tech on my mind, I found myself engaging in discussions about exciting tech topics with my peers at work. I even gained a few mentors along the way. Being genuinely enthusiastic about my work transformed how I perceived my job – it became less of a burden and more of a fulfilling part of my life.
What’s Next?
Now that the 100 days are behind me and there’s no tangible reward or recognition awaiting, I’m left wondering what’s next. I’ve considered a few options. Firstly, tomorrow, I won’t make a commit – I’ll take a day off from programming and feel entirely fine about it. I’ve learned that regular updates to my projects will likely continue, but I’m content knowing that I’ve instilled discipline in myself through consistency.
During the upcoming holidays, I plan to reflect on the next challenge. The benefits of the 100 days of code challenge are too valuable to pass up. However, this time around, I want to approach it with a more structured plan, focusing on what I want to build and the skills I want to develop. I’m considering shortening the duration to about 30 days, although I might undertake another 100-day challenge in the future – not immediately, but when the time is right.
In conclusion, my 100 Days of Code journey has been a profound experience, filled with unexpected challenges and surprising rewards. It has transformed the way I approach programming, work, and life. I’m excited to see what the future holds and to continue growing as a developer and as an individual.
-Ryan
