22
Slowing Down
I wrote a note to myself a couple days ago and saw it as I was scrolling through my list of saved blog post topics.
I'm taking a full lunch break. as recently as a few days ago, or maybe late last week i wouldve worked through liunch given where i am in this sprint.
this would be advice for future HR students. slow down. youre probably going to eventually anyway. besides what's the rush? this is the start.
I've kept up that perspective and why not? It's always better to feel better. To be less stressed out and to work in a way that's sustainable.
The last line of that note stands out.
This really is the start. Fifth week of a thirteen-week program. Maybe 26 weeks of job hunting afterwards (hopefully much less of course). Then 520 weeks, maybe 1040, or more, of a career working with code.
Of course, we all feel the drive to maximize our time in the program. This is an expensive program so of course we'd want to get everything out of it - write every line of code, take on every problem and stretch goal. And that pressure isn't all internal - not nearly. When the allotted work time is up, but you only made it halfway through the 'Bare Minimum Requirements', it's hard to hear the call to step away from the computer.
Yet part of laying the foundation for career-long success is building habits that can last. Problem solving strategies and time management tools that will sustain us beyond our time in a coding bootcamp.
If I could share some advice with future students, it'd be: work hard, but don't over do it.
How do you know if you're overdoing it? That's pretty simple. If you think you might be, you probably are.
Are you skipping lunch to get ahead on the afternoon sprint block? Are you staying up past your normal bedtime to finish that evening's toy problem? Are those healthy decisions? There's too much to learn to think that one extra hour a day is going to make more than a marginal difference in your technical ability or knowledge. But that hour or two can save you stress, or help you feel more rested, or allow you to spend quality time on the things or people that are meaningful to you. Those things are going to make you even more productive when you're working.
So I've embraced the pomodoro method. I'm down to enjoy my one day off. Although, in all honesty, I did do some work yesterday, a Sunday, but it was relaxed and rewarding work.