Why I started writing code
Tags: webdev
Published: 2021-01-08 11:10:52

It's been roughly 10 months since I started teaching myself to code. Funny enough, I recall a conversation I had with a friend around the time I set out on this journey. I had just been exposed to some HTML and was explaining to him how excited I was about it. His response to my elation was - "_don't worry, that's how it starts_". He was absolutely right! That was just the beginning of what has been my dive into front end development.

![Dive](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/r24ie29qxbcyziv1qfj4.gif)
 
####So what really got me going? 
Simply, the realisation that I was falling out of love with what I had been doing. I had reached a plateau. I had reached a place in my role as a graphic designer where everything just felt flat.  I realised I had lost a bit of passion and on most days, I dragged myself through work. I had lost the zeal and excitement I once had. More troubling was the fact that I couldn't place a finger on why this was the case. This went on for a few months until I was randomly asked to complete a task by a colleague. I was asked to fill in a destination link for an `<a>` tag on a landing page. I recall doing a quick search and learning about the `href` attribute in the process. I remember feeling anxious while figuring it out but also super excited when I got it done. I felt alive again and somehow, solving that "big problem" got me all fired up. 

That was when it hit me! 

![HIT](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/b5iczqase3hm3ewm0ko0.gif)
 
####I stopped learning
At last, I could finally place it! It became clear why I was losing enthusiasm. *I had stopped learning new things*. I was no longer playing to my strengths or taking on projects requiring new skills. This was the reason I was slowly getting into a rot. 

Incidentally, around the same time, I stumbled upon [this video](https://www.instagram.com/tv/B9UjYhIAkOk/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link) from Harvard Business Review's instagram page. In the video, [Whitney Johnson](https://twitter.com/johnsonwhitney?s=20) explains the concept of the *S curve of learning* and how it can be used to understand people's change processes. At this point *I was convinced the universe was trying to tell me something*. The *S curve of learning* looks like this and is categorised into three parts.

![maxresdefault](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/zq82k9kbojwgp9igbvst.jpg)

1. The Inexperience phase -> characterised by slow growth, occasional frustration.
2. The Engagement phase -> characterised by exhilaration, learning and confidence.
3. The Mastery phase -> characterised by dissatisfaction, boredom and the longing to do something new.
 
I realised I was in the third phase of this curve as my growth and enthusiasm had started to dwindle. I needed to move onto the next *S curve of learning* where I would tackle different types of problems and feel the excitement of learning new things again. I needed to disrupt myself.

The last few months have been exciting and often frustrating. Learning more about front end development has exposed me to a universe I didn't even know existed. I know a lot more now, but somehow the more I know, the more I know I don't know. 

I am glad I started writing code.