Youâre working on your coding project. Everything is going well.
But it doesnât take too long until you get stuck on your assignment. You try everything you possibly can, with the resources you have.
You are mixing Ruby, JavaScript, Postgres. Doing crash courses, googling. You go to the docs but you donât even know where to look. Itâs almost as if itâs a foreign language.
On StackOverflow, you see the same tips over and over. Youâve tried them all so many times youâre sure you didnât miss them.
Nothing helps. And you know you tried everything. You tried different paths just to get stuck in the mud. Arrggggh.
Itâs as if youâre driving somewhere. You want to set the destination on your GPS. But you donât even know the name of the place youâre going. Everybody speaks another language and there is no map.
You start going through a crisis. That one that almost convinces you that quitting it all together and moving on is better đ.
Yep, that sucks.
When you reach that level of frustration, continue focusing on the problem will do more harm than good. Itâs time to try something else.
Hereâs the thing: getting stuck is human. As Einstein once said:
We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
But that doesnât mean youâll be stuck forever. By the end of this post, youâll learn one simple exercise for you to develop problem-solving skills for your coding career (and for life).
When youâre stuck, switch your focus.
Letâs get this straight: getting stuck sucks. But itâs part of life.
Here are some tips to help you cool down and see things from a different viewpoint:
- Switch your focus entirely. If you are really tired, go for a walk. Do something else. No multi-tasking!
- When you feel refreshed, draw a map of your problem. Yep, pen and paper âïž!
Then, ask yourself these questions:
- Where do you want to go?
- Where are you now?
- What is the next single step to get closer to your destination?
Coding is not straightforward and you can get stuck in the first step of a tutorial (been there, done that).
Itâs okay to struggle⊠because if you already knew all of this stuff, why would you need to learn them?
Thatâs the growing pain of navigating unknown territories. Youâve got to beat your own path and explore. Draw your own map as you go đ§.
Enjoy the journey while getting to your destination. And if you donât finish your assignment or task, itâs okay. You always get to try again, my friend đ«.
Remember that exploring with a group is easier. Others might have explored more and can teach you a thing or two. Check out CodeBuddies and CodeNewbies.
Bookmark this post for the next time you get stuck and share it with your friends!
Did you like this article? Then you're gonna love these other ones: