Why is it so difficult to be successful at something, and why progressing and achieving new heights seems easier for some people and almost impossible for others? Success is pretty much always a complex combination of various factors, which are very hard to recreate, that’s why the majority of “recipes to success,” widely available online, are just not very effective.
One thing can be stated with a fair degree of certainty: the approach is very important here. If you are trying to achieve success in something that you are genuinely interested in and enjoy doing, the chances you’ll get there increase tremendously.
Why you should make coding a hobby
When it comes to programming, that is also very much the case. Studies show that for the majority of truly successful professional programmers coding is more than just a job, it is also their hobby. According to Stack Overflow’s Developer Survey 2020, about 78% of all developers say that they code as a hobby. Even though it’s nothing new — clearly, it is much easier to get good at something that you actually are interested in, — more often than not, we tend to overlook these fundamental things, focused on practical stuff such as jobs, salaries and choosing the technologies to learn.
If your goal is to have a successful career in coding, your chances to reach this goal will be higher if programming for you is a hobby. The benefits of this kind of approach should be self-evident.
But what to do if programming just never happened to be your hobby? Well, personal interests, natural talents, and predispositions are an important factor, but it’s not like they are determinant.
How to make coding your hobby
So, here are a few suggestions on how to shift your perception of coding to make it more of a hobby and less a profession.
1. Social interactions.
People are social creatures. As our monkey brains are not really capable of dealing with all the world’s complexity on their own, we need to constantly be in touch with others to receive feedback from them and exchange information. Programming, on the other hand, can be very lonely, especially if you are learning and practicing it online at home.
It can be lonely, but doesn’t have to be. Increasing your contacts with like-minded individuals, both wannabe programmers and accomplished developers, can make a significant difference. So looking at it as also a way to meet new people, find friends and just just have individuals to share your experiences with could make coding a lot more like a hobby. This is why CodeGym has so many social features by the way.
2. Mentorship.
Another way to leverage the human factor is to find a coding mentor or at least someone more experienced who can keep you company along the way, support you and share their passion in this field. That’s one of the reasons why mentoring is quite a popular concept in software development. Finding a mentor can be extremely useful for those who feel they cannot make it on their own, generally have trouble with solo learning, or just looking to apply every possible tool to take maximum from learning. Check this article for more detail about ways to find a coding mentor.
3. Hackathons and other coding competitions.
You can also use our natural desire to compete and outperform one another to shift the perception and trick your brain into enjoying coding and everything about software development. Participating in hackathons and all kinds of coding competitions is a great way to do this. Competing with others would also allow you to progress faster.
4. Coding games and gamified learning.
Learning how to code and practicing programming skills while playing games has proven to be a great way to teach your brain to perceive it as something fun. There are multiple coding games available, and playing them can be exciting and even addictive. Learning how to code also doesn’t have to be a boring and exhausting process. When it comes to mastering Java, CodeGym is probably one of the best examples of a successfully implemented gamified approach that manages to balance effective and persistent learning with fun.
5. Personal projects and startup ideas.
If you are an ambitious and entrepreneurial person, try to start your own project or at least come up with the concept of a project or a startup that you would do if you had those coding skills. The idea of the project can be tied around some other hobby or interest of yours. Of course, working on a standalone project is not easy, especially for a beginner. That’s why we teach CodeGym students how to build their own simple programming projects as part of the course.
Should coding be your hobby? Opinions
Traditionally, let’s conclude with some views and opinions on the matter from experienced programmers with long and successful careers.
“It’s great to enjoy your job, and sometimes you need extra effort to develop, but work-life balance will keep you sane in the long run. Sometimes I program outside of work (in support of my wargaming hobby). Sometimes I bake, sometimes I entertain friends, I have a monthly book club, I volunteer for a charity. For me, having multiple outlets and lots of friends is all that keeps me sane,” said Les Howie, software developer with decades of professional experience.
“It is a hobby of mine. I enjoy it, and I spend much of my free time doing interesting projects that are quite different from my regular work. People are different. If you’d rather do something else, do something else. Programming as a hobby works when you do it for the sake of a project you are passionate about. Otherwise it becomes tedious and burns you out,” warns Ruben Ravatsås.
“I moved on from programming to a CIO role, and indirectly managing programmers and developers. However, after 30 some years since I started my technology career, I have always been, and am now, a recreational coder. For me it's challenging and fun, and more useful than crossword puzzles, golf, bowling, or watching TV,” Mark Christopher Bolgiano, an experienced programmer and data scientist, believes.
GO TO FULL VERSION