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Discussion on: #CNC2021 "Code More" Pre-Mission Submission Thread

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mcrawlings profile image
Matthew

Hello everybody!

It's been awesome reading about all of your experiences, a lot of them hit really close to home.

Very excited to be getting started with #CNC2021! Here are my pre-mission reflections:


What's working, and why?

1. Planning: whether it's breaking down steps to solve a problem or using Figma to create a mockup, planning always makes the building experience more enjoyable and less intimidating

2. Stepping Away: after learning about the diffuse mode I've learned to step away from a problem if I'm getting nowhere, rather than bash my head against it repeatedly. It's incredible how many problems I solve doing the dishes, or going for a walk

3. Breakthroughs: contrary to stepping away, there's a wonderful reward in facing a tough challenge and solving the problem attached. Whenever I feel stuck and demotivated I like to think about how I've chipped away at projects in the past and come out on top


What isn't working, and why?

1. Perfectionism: the reason this was such a problem for me was because I adopted an all-or-nothing mentality and would frequently opt for the latter. It's also ridiculous to expect myself to be writing perfect code as a beginner!

2. Lack of Clarity: the direct pain point that comes from not planning. Telling myself to, "build X" hardly ever works out, I need to clearly see all X's bits and pieces to make sense of where I'm headed

3. Delaying Feedback: this one leans a bit on the perfectionism issue. Since finding a mentor, and going through code I'm busy writing with them, I've realized that I wanted to keep it all to myself until it was 'perfect'. It's far better to be sharing throughout the building process and getting the feedback when it matters


Long-term goal:

The next 6-12 months are all about getting my first gig as a developer. Whether that's full-time, interning, or building websites for whoever needs one. Right now I split my time between working and learning; the thought of being paid to code/learn is a dream!

Short-term goal:

Over the course of this CN challege I aim to have my personal portfolio built, in React, and hosted to share with potential employers/clients.

Thanks for reading! I look forward to everyone's next update.

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anitabe404 profile image
Anita Beauchamp

I resonate with your point 1 for what isn't working. I too am a perfectionist and tend to just give up on a project/coding session when things aren't going the way I want them to. I definitely want to have more self-compassion this go around.

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mcrawlings profile image
Matthew

I often use the mantra, "If you win you win, but if you lose you learn." Honestly now days I don't want my project to go smooth; if I can get from start to finish where everything goes perfectly then I haven't learned anything.
It's an empowering perspective.