Habits of a Software Developer
- What do you think are the traits of a good software developer? What are they like in the workplace? What would you as a co-worker think of this person?
I imagine software developers tend to form something of a clique in the workplace, since people who share a unique language or skillset tend to gravitate towards one another. That said, a good software developer is a team player who effectively communicates not just with their team but with other teams and everyone involved in a project. Other traits of a good software developer included attention to detail, the ability to break down problems into actionable steps and keeping a cool head when things get confusing or frustrating.
- What are the habits that this person demonstrates to embody the identity of a software developer?
I get the impression that coding is as much a hobby as it is a professional skill. Someone who embodies the identity of a software developer probably completes coding challenges in their freetime and contributes open source projects and to the conversations being conducted on GitHub, Stack Overflow etc. Software developers are lifelong learners who are interested in, and committed to keeping up to date with evolving technologies and honing their skills constantly. Active community participation is integral to this.
- Who do you want to be as a software developer? What kind of behaviors do you already have in place to be that person? What behaviors would you need to put into place? How will you do that?
I like the idea of sharpening my skills through coding challenges. I get a lot of satisfaction from the mental exercise that these challenges present. It's better than working through a hard Sudoku puzzle. I feel like my brain is getting a ton of exercise which is good. Turing has already reinforced the need to practice coding on a daily basis through both required deliverables and recommended supplemental work. It will be important to keep some place for coding in my free time even after I become a professional software developer.
As I grow as a software developer, it will be increasingly important to converse and engage with other software developers - to reinforce my identity as a member of this new community and learn from my peers. Meetings with my rock, mentor and the let's grab donuts channel will push me to do this.
Working on the 1st Law of Behavior Change: Make it Obvious
- Bring self-awareness to your current habits by making a Habits Scorecard. Make a list of your daily habits (examples: wake up, turn off alarm, check phone, etc.) as a way to bring awareness to what you do. Then, decide how effective that habit is for you and your goal of becoming a software developer. Put a + next to habits that are effective; put a - next to habits that are not effective; put a = next to habits that are neutral.
- wake up at around 8 =
- check my phone for about 15 minutes (terrible habit - 21st century chain-smoking) -
- drink water, brush teeth, eat a bowl of oatmeal, brew some coffee in the french press =
- use my poms throughout the day to do ab exercises =
- Watch something on Netflix while I eat lunch -
- finish class at 4pm, straight to CrossFit at 4:30pm +
- Work on homework for a few hours +
- Take some time in the evening to relax, usually with TV, video games. Discipline with reading fluctuates. -
- Pick 1 new habit you’d like to build and create an implementation intention following this template: “I will [BEHAVIOR] at [TIME] in [LOCATION].” Then, stack the habit onto something you already do: “After [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT].” (Hint: make this highly specific and immediately actionable)
"After I finish my homework for the day and eat dinner, I will read for an hour at 9pm every evening in my bedroom."
- Design your environment for success: what changes could you make in your space to better implement your habit? How could you remove any triggers for bad habits? How will you implement these changes?
After dinner, I should go straight into the bedroom rather than the living room so I won't be tempted to watch TV. I need to make sure that the bedroom is a clean, uncluttered and well lit space. I also need my environment to be quiet while I'm reading.
- Respond after a few days of this implementation: What are your results? How do you feel about this method? How will you move forward with this habit?
I unfortunately was not able to stick to this goal, mostly because I was getting ready to fly to Ohio for the week of Christmas and needed to get my project done beforehand. That necessitated some late nights. Hoepfully with the new year, I've had some time to readjust my daily schedule and will start reading again regularly. My mentor has recommended some books to me, so there is also more of an imperative to do some reading every day ahead of our weekly meeting.