We can acknowledge that we have feelings of wanting to push ourselves to keep learning and doing. We can see ourselves when we think "just one more line of code before bed" or convince ourselves "I can read a few more articles or pages or [insert favorite way to consume more information here]". We can pause and see where these feelings and thoughts come from and understand why we're still pushing ourselves beyond exhaustion.
-### FIXME
+These feelings usually stem from a sense of inadequacy. We feel like we're not measuring up to the ideals we have; whether these ideals are ones we've created or ones that are externally driven. These ideals come from analyzing other programmers (colleagues or folks we admire), and measuring our progress against their work. They also come from our own mythical idea of what the perfect programmer is.
-These feelings usually stem from a sense of inadequacy. We feel like we're not measuring up to whatever ideals we have, whether that's an ideal that is externally driven or one that we made ourselves. This comes from us comparing ourselves to other programmers and seeing their work. It also comes from us comparing ourselves to our own mythical idea of what the perfect programmer is.
+What we need to realize is that those ideas of what makes good and perfect programmers are fantasies. They're a composite of what we think a good and perfect programmer should be. They don't exist in the real world. True, we may see programmers out there that seem to wake up with a keyboard attached to their hands, spend the entire day coding, and go to sleep with dreams of more code formulating in their heads. But we need to realize that we're only seeing one side of their lives. We're not seeing the whole picture of who they are. We need to focus on our own bodies and minds and realize when they're tired and need rest. We can't make ourselves into other people, we need to work with who and what we are.
-What we need to realize is that those ideas of what a perfect programmer is and is doing right now are fantasies. They don't exist in the real world. True, there are programmers out there who seem to wake up with a keyboard in their hands, spend the day coding, and go to sleep only to dream in more code. But those folks are not us, and we need to understand where our bodies and minds can take us and when they need rest.
+Our bodies require down-time in order to be most effective. We need moments where we can step away from the keyboard and allow ourselves to wind down and relax. Our minds are not designed for constant work, especially at the levels that computer programming requires. The sooner we realize we should step back and take breaks throughout the day to recharge ourselves the happier (and more productive) we will be.
-Our bodies require down-time in order to be most effective. We need to step away from the keyboard and allow ourselves to come down and relax. Our minds are not designed for constant work, especially at the levels that computer programming requires. We need to step back and realize that we need breaks throughout the day in order to recharge ourselves.
+### FIXME
## Taking a break
projects / themediocreprogrammer.git / commitdiff