Why I Coded Every Day for a Year, What I Learned, and How You Can Too
As a full-stack developer with years of experience under my belt, I‘ve seen firsthand how rapidly the tech landscape can shift. Cutting-edge frameworks and best practices continuously evolve. Amidst all this change, one thing has become crystal clear to me: the developers who thrive are the ones who cultivate the skills to learn and adapt quickly.
Last year, I decided to take my own ability to learn and grow to the next level by committing to coding every single day for 365 days straight. It was a radical experiment in discipline and skill acquisition. Now, one year later, I‘m excited to share why I took on this challenge, the lessons I learned along the way, and my advice for any aspiring or current developers looking to rapidly level up their abilities.
The High Demand for Developers
The demand for software engineering talent continues to skyrocket across industries. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 22% increase in employment for software developers, quality assurance analysts, and testers from 2020 to 2030. This rate is significantly higher than the 8% average growth rate projected across all occupations.
| Occupation | Percent change, 2020-30 | Numeric change, 2020-30 |
|---|---|---|
| Software developers, quality assurance analysts, and testers | 22% | 409,500 |
| Total, all occupations | 8% | 11,878,600 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program
Despite this soaring demand, many companies struggle to find enough qualified candidates to fill open roles. A 2021 survey by Coding Dojo found that approximately 34% of the companies surveyed had over 50 unfilled developer positions.
The takeaway is clear: while competition for top tech talent is fierce, there are abundant opportunities for skilled developers. By dedicating yourself to continuously improving your craft, you open the door to a myriad of exciting career possibilities.
Why Daily Coding?
The idea of committing to daily coding came from recognizing just how much of a difference consistent practice made for my skills. As the popular saying goes, "How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice." Replace Carnegie Hall with landing a dream developer job, and the same principle applies.
I had dabbled in daily coding challenges in the past, such as the #100DaysOfCode challenge (which I‘ll discuss more later). During these periods of intense focus, I noticed my abilities improved rapidly. Concepts clicked into place more readily. My workflow felt more fluid and natural. Difficult features that previously had me stuck for days became solvable in a matter of hours.
The science backs this up. Author of the bestselling book Atomic Habits, James Clear, cites research showing that daily practice is key to developing skills efficiently. Psychologist K. Anders Ericsson, famous for his research on deliberate practice, notes that top performers across fields rarely practice more than 4-5 hours per day. But they do practice nearly every day.
The power is in the consistency. As Clear notes, "It‘s not the intensity of your practice that counts. It‘s the consistency of your practice." By coding every day, even if it‘s just for an hour, you‘re giving yourself a huge advantage.
The #100DaysOfCode Challenge
At the start of my year-long journey, I used the #100DaysOfCode challenge as a launching point. The challenge has a beautifully simple premise:
- Code for a minimum of 1 hour each day for 100 days
- Tweet your daily progress with the hashtag #100DaysOfCode
Publicly committing to the challenge and sharing updates was hugely motivating. It kept me accountable and engaged with a community of other developers working towards similar goals. Some of my favorite projects and fondest coding memories came from connections made through #100DaysOfCode.
If you‘re looking for a structured way to kickstart your own daily coding habit, I highly recommend giving #100DaysOfCode a shot. It‘s approachable enough for beginners, with a thriving support network. Yet it‘s still challenging enough to push more experienced developers out of their comfort zones.
Pushing Beyond 100 Days
While #100DaysOfCode was an excellent start, I knew extending my daily practice far beyond 100 days was necessary to reach my full potential. I decided to treat leveling up my skills like a full-time job. Each morning I woke up, made my coffee, and got to work building, debugging, and refactoring for a solid 8 hours.
Here‘s what a typical day looked like:
- 8am-10am: Code challenge warm-up on a platform like Codewars or HackerRank
- 10am-12pm: Work through coding tutorials or courses, pausing to code along and take notes
- 12pm-1pm: Lunch break/walk outside
- 1pm-4pm: Project time! Apply new concepts to a personal project or contribute to open source
- 4pm-5pm: Networking and engaging with the developer community on Twitter/forums
- 5pm-6pm: Decompress and reflect on the day‘s progress
Following this schedule day in and day out was challenging, but so intellectually rewarding. With each passing week, I could feel my abilities growing. I was hooked on the progress.
Overcoming Obstacles
No growth journey is without its fair share of stumbling blocks. Daily coding is no exception. Over my 365 days, I grappled with everything from crippling imposter syndrome to physical burnout from too much screen time.
One of the biggest early hurdles was the sheer failure and abandon rate of those around me. I connected with hundreds of aspiring developers in various daily coding challenges and online communities. At the start, everyone was bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, and raring to go. But as the weeks dragged on, engagement dwindled to a trickle. The Slack groups and Discord servers grew quieter and quieter, until you could practically hear the tumbleweeds blowing through.
Watching the fire fade for so many others while trying to keep my own motivation blazing was draining. I had to learn to focus on my own progress and block out the noise. As an experienced developer, I knew simply showing up each day and putting in the work would lead to results, even if the payoff wasn‘t always immediately obvious.
Burnout was another beast to wrangle. Clicking keys for hours each day can take a serious toll on your posture, wrist health, and eye strain. To combat this, I had to weave in better ergonomics and self-care. Regularly stretching, taking screen breaks, and investing in a quality office chair all made a huge difference. Neglecting your physical health is short-sighted when consistency is the aim.
The Skills That Paid the Bills
So what did a year of daily coding ultimately yield? Here are some of the most impactful hard and soft skills I developed:
- Mastery of React, Node.js, Python, and related modern frameworks and libraries
- Greater fluency in database design and management (MongoDB, PostgreSQL)
- Improved code organization and project architecture instincts
- Ability to break down complex features into manageable chunks
- Increased patience and persistence in the face of bugs and roadblocks
- Better communication skills from engaging with the developer community daily
Most importantly, I cultivated an incredible sense of discipline and trust in the learning process. I knew that if I could conquer such an intense challenge, I could teach myself anything with the right approach and mindset. That self-confidence has already paid dividends in my career as I‘ve stepped into leadership and mentorship roles.
How You Can Follow the Path
If you‘re feeling inspired to embark on your own daily coding quest, here‘s my biggest advice:
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Start small and build the habit. Commit to coding for just 30 minutes per day at first if that‘s what‘s manageable. The key is consistency and not breaking the streak. You can always scale up once the routine is established.
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Focus on a curriculum or structured challenge to keep you on track. I recommend freeCodeCamp, the Odin Project, or a Udemy web development boot camp to start. Pair those with daily practice using coding challenge platforms like Codewars or Project Euler.
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Engage with the community! You‘ll learn so much by surrounding yourself with other passionate developers. Post questions and insights in forums. Share your progress on social media. Go to local meetups (or virtual ones in the post-COVID world). The support and camaraderie makes a world of difference.
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Prioritize your mental and physical health. Daily coding is incredibly taxing if you‘re not taking care of yourself. Get enough sleep, take regular breaks, and weave in exercise and offline hobbies. Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint.
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Celebrate your wins along the way. Learning to code is challenging. Make sure you‘re rewarding yourself for putting in the hard work. Treat yourself to a nice meal or share a win with friends when you finally solve that gnarly bug. Acknowledging your progress keeps you motivated for the long haul.
With the right plan and unwavering dedication, I wholeheartedly believe any motivated individual can teach themselves programming. It‘s simply a matter of committing to showing up every day and trusting the process. While my 365-day coding journey was extreme, it demonstrates what‘s possible when you‘re willing to put in the time and effort.
Faster than you think, you‘ll marvel at how far you‘ve come. Features that once seemed daunting will become second nature to implement. You‘ll establish yourself as an authority and a resource for others on a similar path. Most importantly, you‘ll have cultivated an incredible new skill set that‘s highly valued in our increasingly digital world.
So start small, dream big, and code on. With daily practice and perseverance, there‘s no limit to what you can achieve.