Giving up doesn't have to be a negative experience. Taking time away from being a programmer is perfectly fine and is not a mark of shame. Plenty of programmers have taken a "sabbatical" from programming to allow themselves to explore other interests and recharge themselves. Breaking the loop of negative experiences in programming can help us clearly see what we want out of programming and a programming career. It can help confirm our innermost feelings about programming and see if it's right for us to pursue any further.
-### FIXME
+There are several fears that can keep us from making this break with programming. The first fear goes by the fancy name of the "sunk cost fallacy". The sunk cost fallacy is the belief that we have invested so much time and effort into learning and development that will be wasted if we quit. I would argue that learning any sort of programming is not a wasted skill and can be applied to many facets of our lives, such as simplifying tasks into manageable steps, structured thinking, and basic Boolean logic. Other fields have also adopted computers so having some skill with computers and how they work can be helpful for yourself or other colleagues who are struggling to learn the technology.
-There are several fears that can keep us from making this break with programming. The first fear goes by the fancy name of the "sunk cost fallacy". This fallacy is the belief that we have invested too much time and effort that will be wasted if we quit. I would argue that learning any sort of programming is not a wasted skill and can be applied to many facets of our lives, such as simplifying tasks into manageable steps, structured thinking, and basic Boolean logic. Other fields have also adopted computers so having some skill with computers and how they work can be helpful for yourself or other colleagues who are struggling to learn the technology.
+The second fear is that if we stop programming then we are letting down our fellow programmers in some way. This one is tricky because we might be on a team where we have a large load of tasks to complete and our decision to quit may mean these tasks won't get done the way we wanted them to get done. Or we may fear that our absence will cause harm to the enterprise and its eventual collapse. This fear requires us to choose between which is more important: our well-being or the well-being of others. It also requires us to explore whether those fears are true or whether they are groundless. Are we really that irreplaceable or could someone take our place? The answer might be "no, but I need to leave this situation or I will cause harm to both of us if this continues". Thinking in terms of the well-being of both yourself and the organizations you belong to from a longer-term perspective may help you make this decision.
-The second fear is that if we stop programming then we are letting down our fellow programmers in some way. This one is tricky because we might be on a team where we have a large load of tasks to complete and our decision to quit may mean these tasks won't get done the way we wanted them to get done. Or we may fear that our absence will cause harm to the enterprise and its eventual collapse. This fear requires us to choose between which is more important: our well-being or the well-being of others. It also requires us to explore whether those fears are true or whether they are groundless. Are we really that irreplaceable or can someone take our place? Sometimes the answer may be "no, but I need to do this for me or I will cause harm to both of us if this continues". Thinking in terms of the well-being of both you and the organizations you belong to in longer-term prospect may help you make this decision.
+The third fear deals with our own personal fears of identity and the memory of our community. If we decide to stop being a programmer will that somehow erase a part of our identity? Will our community stop identifying us as a programmer and will we lose contact with folks that have become friends, colleagues, and such? Again, this fear is tricky to overcome because programming may be a large part of the identity you have crafted for yourself. Letting go of that can lead to feeling less like yourself. And the fear that folks will stop calling you for programming projects can be compounded if you decide to take a break from programming (especially if this break is temporary).
-The third fear deals with our own personal fears of identity and the memory of our community. If we decide to stop being a programmer will that somehow erase a part of our identity. Will our community stop identifying us as a programmer and will we lose contact with folks that have become friends, colleagues, and such. Again, this is tricky to overcome because programming may be a large part of the identity you crafted for yourself. Letting go of that can lead to you feeling less like yourself. And the fear that folks will stop calling you for programming projects can be compounded if you feel that you might just need a break from programming and may wish to return.
+Each of these fears is a valid fear, but they may not be the truth. We can't control how others perceive us or how organizations move on without us. What we can control is our participation in each of these communities. We can determine if a hard break from programming would be better than gradually easing ourselves out of our commitments. We can clarify to others what our current status is and if this is something that is permanent or temporary. But what is most important is that we don't let others persuade us into doing something that is not what we want or is harmful to us. If we need to stop programming because we are emotionally drained and burned out then we need to make it clear to others that we will be doing as disservice to them and ourselves if we continue.
-Each of these fears is a valid fear, but they may not be the truth. We can't control how others perceive us or how organizations move on without us. What we can control is our participation in each of these communities. We can determine if a hard break from programming would be better than gradually easing ourselves out of our commitments. We can clarify to others what our current standing is and if this is something that is permanent or temporary. But what is most important is that we don't let others persuade us into doing something that is harmful to us. If we need to stop programming because we are emotionally drained and burned out then we need to make it clear to others that we will be doing them a disservice if we continue.
+Mature communities will understand the need to take a break and stop programming. They will understand that your mental and emotional well-being is more important for you than their need for you to continue. And they will be able to piece together what needs to be done and heal from your absence. It is natural and normal for folks to move on from organizations and pursue other priorities.
-Mature communities will understand the need to stop programming and walk away. They will understand that your mental and emotional well-being is more important for you than their needs to continue. And they will be able to piece together what needs to be done and heal from your absence. It is natural and normal for folks to move on from organizations and pursue other priorities.
+### FIXME
-What's important to remember is that it's OK not to be a programmer and to turn off that portion of your being. Whether or not that is a permanent change is up to you and your desires. Programming is hard enough. Feeling emotionally drained, uninspired, and burned out is counterproductive to your programming exercise. Taking a break from programming to explore other interests is natural and doesn't mean you're less of a programmer for wanting to recharge yourself. And should you realize that you are happiest when you're not programming then we can appreciate the time that you were a programmer and promise to meet again someday should you return.
+What's important to remember is that it's OK to not be a programmer and to turn off that portion of your being. Whether or not that is a permanent change is up to you and your desires. Programming is hard enough. Feeling emotionally drained, uninspired, and burned out is counterproductive to your programming practice. Taking a break from programming to explore other interests is natural and doesn't mean you're less of a programmer for wanting to recharge yourself. And should you realize that you are happiest when you're not programming then pursue whatever interests you with abandon.
projects / themediocreprogrammer.git / commitdiff