"Hello World"

I guess it's time I started working on this, huh?

A spark has been ignited in me since the last sprint (a week long 9-5 stretch of just working) I did in University, a spark that hasn't been there for the first 5 years I've really spent in programming (or, at least, it wasn't this potent). I don't want to sound cliché but this year feels brand new, as if something has clicked inside me and I can start finally working towards something new. I don't know what that new thing is yet but I'm excited to find out.

People talk about motivation being the driving force to achieving your goals, and sure motivation is the key factor in being able to achieve things. How are you going to get things done if you just simply don't want to do them? You don't write a novel staring at the keyboard and hoping words pop out of it, that just isn't how things work, unfortunately.

Motivation goes a long way but I think the real driving force is the discipline to get things done. Motivation doesn't move you past deadlines, unless you use stress as motivation. You need to be able to recognise that that assignment needs to be worked on for three weeks before the deadline to have a real chance to hand it in. After the first two years of University I've learned this the hard way, but I think once you really learn that lesson it can impact you in a way you never thought. Dragging myself in front of the computer some days has led to me getting things done on time and to a degree that reflects my actual ability, and maybe actually enjoying the assignment a little bit.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, you'll never get things done if you only do them when you want to. There are just some things that you do not want to do but you know you have to do them - like that pile of dishes in the kitchen. There will be some days where you just don't want to do them, where you are so lethargic and burnt out that even getting out of bed feels like a chore. Its important to spread a message that being burnt out is okay, taking a day off is fine. This should be engraved into the mind of every student in the world - it is so important to take days off just to look after yourself. As long as you can pick yourself up after that day and say that you feel better and start working again. Mental health days are important and should be commonplace as long as they aren't abused.

Where am I going with this?

I have a couple of projects I want to be working on. I have a target for the year to get a game out and published every quarter - that's a game every three months - alongside my university work. I feel like this blog will make me feel accountable to get them done, and my portfolio page will certainly thank me. While I won't go into heavy detail about these games in any blog posts I will try and pick something I've learned that week and use it as a topic for a post. I think this is the most reflective way to work, and I can take away pride if I keep it up.

I'm going to try to keep this up weekly, maybe set a calendar reminder in my phone to get a post out. Even if the content isn't about coding or work in general, its nice to see my own words on a page and I might learn something or someone else might learn something or be going through the same things that I am and find comfort in the fact that they aren't the only ones. Who knows?

Here's to a good year.