CYFD #004: Discovering and Understanding Your Motivation

A Self-Guided Journey

Hey friends! 👋

Hope you’re well and having a great weekend! ☀️

If you like my content, here's some more content from friends I follow on a daily basis:

1. John Crickett is helping people to become better software engineers through coding challenges that build real applications. Don’t miss his newsletter.

2. Guille Ojeda is making tech solutions simpler and cheaper. He’s the author of the Simple AWS newsletter and the Node.js on AWS book. Don’t miss his newsletter.

3. Harley Ferguson is teaching developers how to accelerate their careers. He’s the author of “The 10X Developer Newsletter”

4. Richard Donovan is empowering software developers through mindset coaching and training. He's the author of “The Modern Software Developer Newsletter”

5. Brian Jenny is helping developers with 0-2 years of experience learning the JS that's holding them back. He’s the author of “Real Talk JS”.

6. Roman Frolov talks about startups, innovation, and software engineering in general. He’s the co-founder of Codesphere.

7. Brian Childress helps companies FIX their software. Hands-on Software Architect, Startup Mentor, and Fractional CTO.

8. Ryan Talbert teaches career switchers JavaScript and React

9. André Jonas is a great Software Engineer who talks about startups and product engineering. Get to know him! He rocks!

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This is the 4th issue of my publication.

I had a very intensive week, but as always, here I am to provide some more food for thought regarding your career change, or your early steps as a software engineer.

I had a very interesting discussion with a friend, which was my mentee, two years ago, and the topic of our conversation was “how to help people to discover and understand their motivation”.

There’s no doubt that motivation is the fuel that drives us forward in our personal and professional lives. But how can we truly discover and understand our motivation?

Here are some steps to guide you on this self-reflective journey.

Step 1: Self-Awareness

The journey begins with understanding yourself. What are your strengths, passions, values, and interests?

Keep a journal, try personality tests, or ask for feedback from close friends and family to gain insights.

Self-awareness will help identify what truly matters to you.

Step 2: Reflect on Past Experiences

Look back at your past experiences, both positive and negative.

What activities, projects, or tasks have you felt most enthusiastic or fulfilled while doing?

What did you find most meaningful or satisfying?

These insights can provide clues about what motivates you.

Step 3: Set Goals

Goals give your life direction and purpose.

They can be personal, career-related, or related to a cause you care about.

Think about where you want to see yourself in the future.

Goals should be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART).

Step 4: Identify What Drives You

There are two types of motivation – intrinsic (driven by internal rewards like satisfaction or personal growth) and extrinsic (driven by external rewards like money or recognition).

Understanding what type of rewards you seek can help clarify your motivation.

Step 5: Visualize Success

Visualization is a powerful tool.

By creating a clear mental picture of what achieving your goal would look like, you can strengthen your motivation.

It also helps to create a vision board that represents your goals and aspirations.

Step 6: Embrace Growth and Learning

The desire to learn and grow is a potent form of motivation.

Cultivate a growth mindset, and see challenges as opportunities for learning. Embrace the journey of lifelong learning.

Step 7: Surround Yourself with Positivity

People around you can greatly influence your motivation.

Surround yourself with people who inspire and encourage you.

Find mentors or role models who exemplify the kind of motivation you aspire to.

Understanding your motivation is a journey of self-discovery.

It requires time, introspection, and patience. But the rewards are invaluable.

As you embark on this journey, remember these words by Zig Ziglar, "People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing – that's why we recommend it daily."

Keep exploring, keep learning, and keep motivating!

Summary

Step 1: Self-Awareness 🙏

Step 2: Reflect on Past Experiences 🧐

Step 3: Set Goals 🎯

Step 4: Identify What Drives You 🧠

Step 5: Visualize Success ✨🌈✨

Step 6: Embrace Growth and Learning 📒📚

Step 7: Surround Yourself with Positivity 🔥

One more sec

If you’re a junior developer, or you’re doing a career change to software engineering, let me help you as soon as you’re ready.

1. If you’re looking to accelerate your career change, I’d recommend reading my book:

   Code Your Future: A Guide to Career Change And Success in Software Engineering.