TL;DR: Inspired by The One Thing by Gary Keller and a YouTube channel with disabled comments, I started learning coding through FreeCodeCamp.org. Focusing on practical exercises and consistent practice, I learned that persistence is key to understanding complex concepts.
Right now, you might be wondering, “This seems impossible. How will I ever learn all this?” or “I’m not smart enough for this.” Let me stop you right there. These feelings are normal. Every programmer, no matter how experienced, started exactly where you are now. I remember thinking I’d never get past the basics, until I did. Coding isn’t about being a genius; it’s about persistence and learning how to think in a new way. You don’t need to be a math whiz or a logic prodigy. You just need to be willing to try, mess up, and keep going.
Read that again.
→ If you know how to cook, then you likely have the necessary traits required to be able to learn to code. It’s not that hard. Don’t tell me you also don’t know how to cook.
Think of coding like cooking.
At first, you’re just trying to follow a recipe without burning the kitchen down. You don’t need to be a master chef on day one. You just need to learn how to chop vegetables, boil water, and follow basic instructions. Over time, you’ll start experimenting, tweaking recipes, and eventually creating your own dishes. Coding works the same way. You’ll start with simple “recipes” (programs), learn the basic ingredients (code), and gradually build up to more complex creations. And just like in cooking, you’ll make plenty of messes along the way. But that’s how you learn.