A lot of events have happened to me in the past few weeks. The huge list has resulted in a roller coaster ride into 2014.
One exciting thing is that I was asked to give a presentation on HumanRefactoring at a workshop. Speaking about HumanRefactoring has given me an opportunity to really think about it from a different perspective. I often have conversations about it but it has been a couple years since I have taken a room full of people through the background, philosophy and exercises that make it effective.
It dawned on me how much I have moved away from these philosophies that I am advising to others. Writing clean code takes discipline and a commitment to keep your code at a certain standard. I feel I have let this drop off in my personal self.
The good news: I know what to do about it!
This happens to a lot of developers and a lot of athletes. We start off with great motivation and passion but we loose steam or let obstacles slow and then stop our progress. There are a few things we need to do to get back on track. You don’t have to do all of these but I recommend you try a few and see what works for you.
1) Hang around people who are doing what you want to do. One reason going to the gym works is that people are there who want to exercise. Want to improve your coding skills, go to a hackathon, or code and coffee or a code retreat. The people you interact with have a huge influence on your life.
2) Find what inspires you and make it a visual reminder. I once watched a documentary about an American wrestler who put a photo of the Olympic champion in his locker. Everyday when he opened it, he had to look into the face of his opponent. Everyday he thought about the exercise his opponent was doing. Arnold Schwarzenegger was laughed at when he was young, working out in the gym. He was wearing shorts and his friends were making fun of his skinny legs. Arnold wore shorts from then on at his workouts so he would be motivated to build his legs.
3) Make a change. I have spoken about this before. Shaking up our routine can get us back on the path to improvement.
4) Let your inner child free. Visit someplace new, go to a museum, call an old friend you haven’t spoken to for a while. Watch the Olympics! Your frame of mind is very important.
5) Start small. Maybe go a for a walk today. Maybe get off at an early bus stop. Take the stairs up. A small step can help you get into a new routine.
I’m going to go to Yoga this week and I’m going to start eating better. What are you going to do?
HumanRefactor 