4 HABITS THAT CAN MAKE YOU A TECH SUPERSTAR

 We often attribute superfluous terms like "Superstar", "Top Player" etc. to sport stars. The Ronaldos and Messis of the footballing world. We admire their discipline. We admire their athleticism. We admire their sportsmanship. These people have accomplished near superhuman feats in their respective careers. They have become gods among men.

As a newbie programmer, I have often pondered on the possibility of becoming the equivalent of an elite sport star in the global tech eco-system - a "Top Player"- and I have reached some useful realizations that I will be sharing in this post.

1.    ALWAYS THINK LIKE A BEGINNER.

I know we all want to have the sweet feeling of being regarded as knowledgeable in our field. As humans we crave recognition and most importantly to be recognized as experts in our profession but my thinking is - LET YOUR STATS SPEAK FOR YOU.

Let your creations, your finished projects wow your peers, colleagues and your employers while you keep your mind fresh and hungry for more information and skill.

The world of technology is ever evolving and only those who do not get carried away by their past achievements will stay relevant. So stay humble. Stay hungry.

2.    YOU ARE A TECH-LETE BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE.

Knowledge is intoxicating but true development comes from continuous, consistent and disciplined exercises. Show me an elite footballer and I will show you a disciplined athlete who go through painful exercises to keep his form. 

To keep your form as a tech-lete. I believe you must create your daily routine to help you do the following; 

        a.    Develop your problem-solving abilities. (Algorithms, Competitive Programming etc.)

        b.    Practice concepts you already know until they become intuitive.

        c.    Learn new Ideas and new concepts. (New Libraries, New Languages).

        d.    Repeat the Process.

3.    CREATE PROJECTS.

Creativity is gold. One thing I have observed amongst newcomers in any field is that they always want to be told what to do and are afraid of making mistakes. This is creative suicide. Mistakes will stretch you. Mistakes will make you do research. Mistakes will open up your imagination. 

Do not confine your imagination to your level of skill and ability. Your imagination is your surest guide in this career path and you should let it loose more often. You can start by thinking about making clones of products you already know like messaging apps, Calculators, Web Applications for Schools and Hospitals etc. These kind of seemingly impossible tasks will stretch your mind and give you capacity.

Stay Creative.

4.    ALLIANCES.

No man can accomplish great things alone. Your network is your tech-worth. Creating alliances with people that are ahead of you and with those that are behind you is an invaluable behavior that will open great doors of opportunities for you both in the short-term and in the long run.

You must be pulling from those ahead of you and pushing those coming behind you. Collaboration is key in your journey as a tech-practitioner. Nobody is perfect especially when it comes to dealing with people. Taking specialized courses on people management or reading books about people and leadership will  give you a head start in becoming a people's person.

Stay Loyal. Stay Teachable.

Programming is an intellectual journey, enjoy every step of the way.