Did you know Programmers are Binary?

Programmers are generally in one of two extreme states and flip-flop between them.

Some days everything goes smoothly and some days everything goes wrong. It seems there is nothing in between.

So here’s what happens when you are in each state, and what you can do to become a more emotionally balanced developer.

The One

Photo by Mehdi MeSSrro on Unsplash

You are in the on state. During your stand-up you arrive early (perhaps even whistling). You give your update, and even if there is a blocker this is cleared quickly. 

You understand the acceptance criteria and push on with your ticket understanding each use-case. Your code passes your unit tests the first time. You complete your PR and there are no comments, just approvals.

Your work has no bugs leaving you feeling like you at the top of your game.

The Zero

Photo by Jeremy Perkins @jeremyperkins on Usplash

You are in the off state. You forget the time of you stand-up so you arrive late, and you’re the one who should be running it. You give your update and the tech lead asks you why your ticket is not yet complete. You don’t feel able to tell the truth but promise to close your ticket “by end of play”.

The legacy code (that you wrote) is so bad you really should refactor several classes before working on the feature, but don’t have time. You suddenly realize that you aren’t able to build the project, and suddenly get a merge conflict against your own branch (your rebase was a serious mistake). 

You start introducing bugs into the code that previously did not exist. You struggle to understand your ticket and realize that you’re working in the wrong section of the codebase. When you eventually raise a PR there are ten comments including WTF.

You cry.

How to be a stable developer

Here are three top tips to make sure you become (and stay) “on” as a developer:

Routine is Your Friend

Start your day the same way, whether it’s a cup of coffee or ten minutes of meditation. Consistency in your morning can lead to consistency in your code.

Embrace the Off Days

Accept that not every day will be a win. Use these times for learning, refactoring, and growth instead of frustration.

Seek Feedback Early

Don’t wait for the PR for feedback. Peer programming or early reviews can catch issues before they become disasters.

Conclusion

Stay curious, stay balanced, and remember that every line of code, whether written on a good or bad day, contributes to your growth as a developer.