#writingisthinking

As a programmer, not knowing quite what to do is a common experience. Thankfully programmers love to talk about their problems and share their solutions on the web. But there is more to solving our problems than just querying Google and checking Stack Overflow. Sometimes, in our haste, we forget that there is an intermediate step between problems and solutions: questions!

Problems point to questions first, but it takes time to discover precisely which questions need to be asked. I think a great approach for those times when you don’t know how to precede is to first write out the problem. Writing is thinking and writing out the problem clarifies the limits of what you really know and sharpens the questions that you are seeking to answer. We have to remember that time spent framing the question is time well spent.

Write more — this resolution is rather self-explanatory, but to me it is the key resolution for the new year. This is the practice that will enable me to live out my other resolutions. Why? Because I’m convinced that writing is thinking. Putting pen to paper solves problems and generates fresh insights. One of my goals for 2015 is to write more, a lot more.

2015 Resolutions

Do good work

Practice effective learning

Write more

Do phenomenology

I’ve seen that some people like to space their code out. They like to leave a line or two of blank code between their different <div>s, or they sandwich the contents of their <li>s by placing the <li> tag on the line above and below the element’s content. While <ul> lists that span a third of the page might be beautiful to some I think a case can be made for compact code.

I’m following a path into web development that my brother and sister-in-law walked before me and I’m trying to duplicate their West Coast success here on the East Coast. An engaging metaphor from a conversation with my brother this summer helped clarify what I need to do. He described the present state of the industry as being like the proverbial freight train passing through town. If you can just get yourself moving fast enough to match its speed and jump on board you can find yourself getting paid to continue learning and growing.

This weekend marks one-and-a-half weeks since the start of my prework with Thinkful. I’ve learned so much in such a concentrated time that it amazes me. I’m excited to see what the future holds. I only have one more week until the launch of NYCDA’s intensive and there’s a lot to fit into the next nine days.