Mindset for Programmers: Achieving Success and Efficiency

A programmer's mindset should focus on problem-solving, continuous learning, rest, system automation, environment, and child-like curiosity for efficient and enjoyable work.

### Mindset Shifts for Programmers to Advance in Their Careers
* 💻 "Don't limit yourself to a specific technology or framework; focus on being a **problem solver** who can use **any tool effectively**."
* 🎯 "Believe that your goals are achievable, but take proactive steps to reach them, such as **learning new technologies** or **applying for new jobs**."
* 📚 "Continuous learning is essential in the dynamic field of IT; **staying stagnant will limit your career opportunities**."
* 🏃 "Approach your career as a marathon, not a sprint, to **avoid burnout and maintain long-term success**."
* 🧠 "Understand that programming is not just a job, but a lifestyle that requires **constant problem-solving and creativity**."
* 🤖 "Think beyond just solving individual tasks; aim to **create systems and automate processes** to excel as a programmer."
* 🏢 Create a productive work environment that supports your **focus and creativity**, as programming is a **cognitively demanding task**.
* ⏳ "Practice mindfulness to stay focused on the **present moment** and avoid being overwhelmed by **past mistakes or future challenges**."
* 👶 "Approach your work with **curiosity and creativity**, like a child exploring new toys, to find **joy and inspiration** in your projects."

I noticed that many novice IT specialists tend to stick to the first programming language they learn until they become seniors. But there is a limit to this career path because at some point, you start doing the same tasks over and over again. Your day turns into a routine of the same processes and tasks that you have seen many times before, and it seems like there is nothing new, no development, no new challenges, no new money, and no interesting projects. Many people can blame the IT field for being very limited, with the same routine work as everything else. But in reality, it all depends on how we approach it and how we think about it. Many people underestimate the concept of mindset, which allows us to better design both our lives and our careers. That's why I decided to share with you in this video eight main concepts related to.

The mindset of a programmer is how they should ideally think in order to improve their career, be more efficient, and enjoy it more. I will start with the very foundational thing. You have probably heard, especially if you are a frontend developer, of things like React developer, Angular developer, or any other framework developer. This is fundamentally not true, and here is why: in English, the profession of a programmer is called a Software Developer. This means that if you translate it, it's a software development specialist. The task of such a professional is to solve problems that exist in your workplace, meaning solving business problems. How you solve these problems absolutely does not matter. As a specialist, you can provide a solution using any tool, and the tool in this case is the technology you use. So, if you are a good developer, you need to choose an efficient tool for the task. Let's now remember these.

Beginner frontend developers associate their work exclusively with a particular technology, thereby limiting themselves without understanding that the market is much broader. You can go and learn another technology, for example, it is not always necessary to choose React for the frontend. Because there are other projects where Angular or Svelte, for example, would be effective. The concept of the first point is that you should not associate yourself with any technology. Just imagine how much space and creativity you will have to implement when you simply understand that as a programmer, you can solve tasks, and programming languages and frameworks are just tools that allow you to do this. The better programmer you are, the better specialist and developer you are, the more effectively you will choose the tool for solving a specific task. So, do not limit yourself, and before you will be the full spectrum of what the market can offer.

From your perspective, the next part of the mindset is specifically related to achieving goals, regardless of whether you are an experienced senior trying to start a new project or a beginner in IT who is just starting to understand what is happening here. Technologies exist, and you have some goal. So, it is crucial to understand that any goals we set for ourselves are achievable. Just wait until the car passes because as IT specialists, we can set ourselves completely different tasks, whether it's getting a new job, learning a new technology, or earning more money, which is also essential. When we understand that what we want is achievable, it moves us from inaction to action. However, mere desire is not enough here because that is reactive thinking. To implement any task or goal, we need to think proactively, meaning to set a task for ourselves, set a goal, and start taking action.

Actions that will lead us to this goal. For example, if we want a new job, it would be quite naive to expect a cool HR person to call us and invite us without simply entering the job market. Nothing will change accordingly. In this case, when we start taking actions to achieve this goal, we create intention, a will, and an idea that guides us. This intention will lead us to achieve our goals. So, it's quite simple, just believe that it is achievable and start acting. The next part about the mindset for programmers is specifically related to self-education. In general, guys, if you are in IT or heading there, you need to accept the fact that you will need to constantly learn something new. If you are not studying something new, if you stay in one place, it means that sooner or later you will not.

The demand is related to the specifics of this industry because it is very dynamic. Constantly something new is being updated, released, changed - new technologies, frameworks, languages, approaches, and so on. The catch is that if you are not keeping your finger on the pulse of this market, sooner or later you will have a smaller range of vacancies to apply for, fewer interesting projects to work on with your current level of competence. In other words, in order to have a career in IT, I know we condemn, but nonetheless, everything remains in this stack. They do not learn or explore anything new beyond that. They have no idea about any frameworks, any SSGs, and so on. They only know their PHP and the like. Of course, they have a certain job, but unlike the abundance of the market that can offer, it is a negligible fraction. So, a very simple truth: Yes, if you want to be successful in IT, if you want to have a competent and in-demand career, you need to.

If you are constantly working and learning something new along the way, then everything will be fine. By the way, here is a little life hack about burnout. You probably know the idea that many people, when starting something new, think, I will quickly learn this course, put in a lot of effort, and sit for 12 hours a day to master it, and that will be enough. They really put in a lot of effort to learn something, and then they burn out. Why does this happen? Because people approach their career as a sprint, thinking it's a temporary stage. When they need to learn something, and then everything will be a permanent job, with money, happiness, and so on. In opposition to this, there are people who constantly progress in their careers, continuously develop, and do not burn out because they initially approach their career path, which, by the way, may last for several.

Some people approach a marathon like this for their whole life. They understand that it is a long, continuous process. When you treat it as a very long journey where you need to constantly make small efforts, it is essential. The key point is to be consistent so that you don't burn out, avoiding the effect of a compressed spring when you learn something and then relax. No, you simply act according to a long-term strategy, living happily and achieving results. Another important thing to understand about the profession of a programmer is that it slightly differs from other professions. It's not just a job; it's a whole lifestyle. I will explain what I mean. Imagine there is a typical worker in a factory who comes to work at 9:00 am every day and tightens bolts throughout his shift.

It ends at 6:00 in the evening, he finishes tightening the nuts, he leaves work to go to his friends, to Jane's home simply, and he doesn't think about how to tighten these nuts because he just has ordinary physical work in this sense. Programmers differ greatly because we have cognitive work specifically. We need to think about how to solve a certain problem, how to fix a bug, how to find the most effective solution, how to develop the best architecture or choose the necessary technology. And when, let's say, our workday ends at 6:00 in the evening, we go to Jane's place or to our girlfriend, and our brain still continues to work. The process is launched. So even in our sleep, at breakfast, at dinner, we continue to think about how to solve this problem. That is, we are constantly in the process of solving intellectual tasks. It is very important to understand this because the next principle, which I attribute to mindset, is that it is necessary.

To learn to rest effectively, you need to be the most effective programmer when you are an effective worker who is balanced in life, with everything good in terms of health, balance in life, not just work, but also relationships, health, hobbies. And you know how to rest properly, that is, to disconnect that box that allows us to earn money. Thus, when we distract ourselves with other activities, when we engage in something unrelated, our brain rests, and as a result, it becomes more efficient, enabling us to solve tasks better, more reliably, and come up with higher quality solutions. It is essential to realize that our work process is continuous, and as a result, we need to be prepared to withstand such pressures and not burn out in the long run. Therefore, take care in the first place.

Balance your life for yourself, and then you will be able to be a more effective specialist. Continuing the tour of my day today, I finally found some time to have a drink, which means it's time to share the next mindset for a programmer. It goes something like this: a good programmer doesn't just think about solving a task to make it work; they think about how to turn it into a system and an automatic process. I will give a very simple example: you can write a function that adds two numbers. If you need to add two other numbers, you will have to manually write it again. Or, you can write a function that will add two numbers regardless of the input parameters. This is a basic example of a system and process automation. This actually occurs constantly in a programmer's career. The higher the level of abstraction you can reach, the better you will be able to.

Automating a system, especially in a reliably supported way, will make your code work. Therefore, it is not enough to just implement some functionality, fix a bug, or complete a project. You constantly need to think about how to make it reliable, work automatically, and independently. And as soon as you learn how to do this, it will greatly distinguish you in terms of characteristics and skills from ordinary programmers who just do their job. If you can reach such a level where you implement a solution that works autonomously and constantly adapts it to combine with the business requirements coming from the employer, the better specialist you will be. The next important point that I relate to mindset is specifically related to the environment and infrastructure. It's better not to just sit and work. All these myths about needing to go to a ball, sit on the beach at 35 degrees, unfold a laptop, and...

Fixing bugs - This is complete nonsense because it's uncomfortable on the beach, the sun glares, people are relaxing, and objectively solving tasks and complex problems at that moment is not very convenient. We as humans can focus productively on work for a maximum of 4 hours, so it's very important to create a comfortable space and environment for ourselves to solve these tasks. For example, taking care to ensure that the temperature in the room is cool enough so that we can think better at that moment, having a comfortable keyboard, having two different monitors there, for example, to track these tasks, and setting up a system like this. Also, including noise-canceling headphones that won't distract from external tasks so that we can sit and focus productively on what we are solving for just 4 hours a day. This precisely solves the atmosphere. I can give a very simple example of how infrastructure and environment affect us.

Imagine that you live in a society and community that tells you that you will not achieve anything, you will not succeed. You shouldn't stand out there, do something, implement certain practices, and so on. What chance of success will you have in such an environment? It will not be very high. Also, here, if you do not create a comfortable environment, a comfortable workspace for your work, you will not be able to effectively solve tasks. And if you cannot effectively solve tasks, you will remain in one place. Therefore, this mindset point is about building an environment, infrastructure so that it allows you to work more productively. Think about it, and your work will become much more efficient. Another quite crucial point that I relate to the programmer's mindset is related to the answer to the question: What can I do right now? In our work, we encounter some tasks or problems that are unsolvable.

And we strain all our rationality to try to solve this problem right now, but often we can't. This is often related to the fact that we work with our brains. We drift into these clouds of abstraction in our thoughts and think about how to solve the bug, how to choose a more correct architecture, how to make a request, how to communicate with the team. So, this volume of problems and tasks accumulates in our minds, and we completely immerse ourselves there. The answer lies precisely in being in the moment. Here and now, a very simple formula is present: if we think about what was in the past, what we could have done to prevent it from happening now, we will then be sad because we can no longer change the past. If we think about the future, what tasks are ahead, what problems we need to solve, what deadlines and bad communications there will be, we will easily drift away.

We can burn out because these moments have not yet arrived. And we are already loading our skull box with these tasks, and the answer lies precisely in the question of being in the moment. Here and now, if we discard all these concepts, ideas, and think about what specific tasks I can do now by setting aside these pressing factors that actually load our operative, as soon as we discard them, our brains will be able to fix something right now and as a result, work more effectively, be happier, and do more projects. In order to be in this moment, first, I already explained that you need to try to train your brain in such a way that it does not get lost in these tasks and try to feel your body. For example, just feel how your feet are standing on the ground, focus your attention there, or think about what my body is feeling right now.

For example, the wind touches my hands. What kind of wind is it there? Trying to focus your attention on other sensory organs allows you to return to the moment here and now, it helps to free your mind a little, and thus solve tasks more effectively. Use it, guys. I have the last part of the meditation for you. Today, I want to share it, but as you can see, St. Petersburg sent rain, so I have to film already in such wet circumstances. Nevertheless, it is directly related to what I want to tell you, and it sounds as follows: Try to approach everything with interest like a child. Remember how in childhood, it was interesting to dig into new toys, figure out a constructor, dismantle some old mechanisms just to see what's inside. No one forced us; we were not burdened with deadlines, prints, projects, obligations that weigh on us.

We were just really interested in what would happen if we applied this mindset to our work activities. It would result in something wonderful. Instead of thinking, Oh, I have so many tasks and so little time, so many obligations, everything is weighing on me, try to think about what else you can do right now with this project. Find a specific interest in it, like a child does. Then, instead of feeling burdened, it will be easier for you to solve various tasks. For example, you are fixing a bug or adding a new feature, instead of just implementing limited functionality, try to allocate some time, like half an hour or an hour, to test. What will happen if I add a new feature? What if I apply a new architecture to this approach or a new pattern you just learned? What will happen if you...

Add some new element of the interface that could possibly optimize this work, that is, try to introduce some things that are not mandatory, try to find interest in this, and then the work that is actually Yes, it is mandatory will cease to be such. And thus, you will simply enjoy it more. As a result, you will be more effective in solving these tasks. Try it, and with that, I conclude today's video. Write in the comments what life hacks you use to improve your mindset, which allows you to be more productive and efficient in your activities.

Думай как программист. Мышление, которое поможет

Владилен Минин

Sticking to the first programming language can limit career growth and lead to a repetitive work routine.

The key to a successful programmer mindset is understanding that the choice of technology is just a tool for solving problems, and it's essential not to limit oneself to a single technology.

Setting achievable goals and taking proactive steps is crucial for career development in the IT field.

Having a successful career in IT requires constantly learning and adapting to new technologies and frameworks.

Stagnation in skills and knowledge will lead to a limited range of job opportunities and less exciting projects.

Approaching a career in IT as a marathon, rather than a sprint, is crucial for avoiding burnout and sustaining long-term success.

The Marathon Mindset: Approaching Life and Work as a Continuous Process

Approaching life and work as a marathon involves making small consistent efforts to avoid burnout, similar to the continuous process of being a programmer.

Programmers have a unique cognitive work style that requires constant problem-solving, even outside of traditional work hours.

Effectively resting and maintaining a balanced life is crucial for sustaining long-term success in the marathon of work and life.

The Key Mindsets for Effective Programmers

Effective programmers focus on turning tasks into systems and automatic processes, rather than just making them work manually.

They also prioritize creating a comfortable and productive work environment to enhance their problem-solving abilities.

By aiming to make their code work reliably and autonomously, while adapting to business requirements, programmers can set themselves apart as top specialists.

Creating a Productive Work Environment and Mindset

Creating a comfortable and productive work environment is crucial for success and task efficiency.

Instead of being consumed by past regrets or future worries, focusing on the present moment and identifying specific tasks to work on can lead to increased effectiveness and happiness.

Training the brain to stay grounded and focused on the present can help in avoiding being overwhelmed by the volume of tasks and problems.

Embracing Childlike Curiosity for Improved Task Solving

Approaching tasks with the curiosity of a child can free the mind and improve task-solving effectiveness.

By finding genuine interest in projects, rather than feeling burdened by them, individuals can enjoy their work more and increase their productivity.

Taking the time to explore new ideas and possibilities within a task can lead to a more enjoyable and effective approach to problem-solving.