Elysian Shadows

I know how difficult learning how to program could be, but how do you keep your self motivated when it is such a long term thing? I sometimes find myself "bored" when i practice sometimes or even reading my programming book. (This questions goes out to anyone.)

Mesmaroth wrote:I know how difficult learning how to program could be, but how do you keep your self motivated when it is such a long term thing? I sometimes find myself "bored" when i practice sometimes or even reading my programming book. (This questions goes out to anyone.)

programming can often be a tricky and confusing subject, but I think what motivates me (and I think the rest of the ES team would agree) is the reward at the end of the tunnel. the satisfaction you get from figuring out that piece of code, and especially in game development when you successfully implement that new feature.

one thing that I find extremely helpful during those "boring" times is taking a break. nothing is better than getting some fresh air and looking at something different than the computer screen that you've been coding on for long hours. a lot of times during breaks I will pick up a game I've been playing and it will remind me why I first started programming in the first place...

Because I love games. I'm passionate about games, the effort it takes to make games, and the stories games convey. So when I get down and out while programming, playing some of the classics really helps me get the kick in the pants to get back up on the horse.

Personally, I program for the sheer thrill of the application working or code segment doing what it should do, then I seek to write more code for another thrill (A bit like drugs...). When a problem occurs which is so bad that I just need to step back, I just write another part of the code/functions and come back to it later, for some reason, it helps...

Also, it's fun when solving problems, or coding the initial idea. (Sometimes problems can be annoying...)

You really do have the love the journey. You cannot be so focused on the end product that you just hate life all along the way until it is finished. As has been said already, if you are thrilled to solve lots of small problems, you are built for programming! If every single feature/bug/change drains you of life and happiness... maybe programming ain't your thing.

Programming is really an abstraction. Just a tool to get from point A to point B. You should know your tool(s) and which one to use when, but at the point that you're adept with a screwdriver, I would not get hung up thinking about the screwdriver when you're building something.

Learning to write a certain language isn't terribly fun (for me anyways), rather the overreaching goals that come to fruition by means of the language is.

So, in that respect, I have a few suggestions:

1) Keep the "end vision" white hot. Envision, live, and breathe as though you ALREADY have ACHIEVED the end vision. It will put you in a good place. A place where you can will the success TO you.

2) Tackle a few projects at a time. Always have a few pet projects on the side. It will give you a place to go when you get burned out, and trust me, you WILL get burned out.

3) Explore things that have NOTHING to do with "programming". Again, "programming", is an abstraction. It's just a tool. Writing a physics engine? Learn some physics. (Not C++). Writing some graphics thing? Learn some mathematics/signal processing (Not Java). Writing AI systems? Study graph theory and linear mechanics (Not assembly). The SOONER you can realize that the code has little to do with anything (Sure you have to know how to write decent code), the sooner you'll realize your ability to be a very DYNAMIC developer as someone who is well versed in the general process that is "engineering". Where we deploy solutions to problems. Thats all we do here. Please don't get hung up on programming unless your calling is in programming languages themselves, which is a whole world unto itself.

As always qp, very well put. Thank you for sharing your insight.

Thank you everybody your post has got me motivated once more and I will continue my journey.