A lot is happening in the IT world. Like in these jokes, a new framework is created every day and wants to revolutionize the world. No matter what stage of your career, the new things you can learn and explore are never-ending story.
I would like to present my thoughts and ways to live a little more peacefully. Maybe this will allow you to feel a little less overwhelmed.
Mindset
It all starts in your mind. Many limitations are overcome if you manage to overcome your mental limitations and the slogan “it can’t be done”.
Feeling overwhelmed is a reaction to too many stimuli from the world around us. Our brain receives over-stimulation and is unable to process all stimuli. It’s a bit like a school test. You get the test, and you haven’t done one task yet, but you are already checking what’s next because maybe it will be easier than the current one. Ultimately, you are not fully focused on any of them.
Instead of jumping from one topic to another nervously, it’s worth concentrating on one thing. One thing, one problem at a time. I know you had your priorities and even a perfect plan. However, they need to be changed to move forward at all.
Understanding the problem
I don’t think it is possible to solve the problem without understanding it consciously. You can, of course, try, but it will be a lottery.
If you feel nervous or under too much pressure, analyze it. Stop for a moment and identify the problems. Is it too short? Do you have too high expectations of yourself? Is it the pressure of the environment and other people?
By identifying problems, you can focus on solving them. By knowing what you are up to, you can eliminate one problem at a time instead of trying to solve everything at once.
Realize you can’t do it all (alone)
You can be brilliant at your job, but it isn’t easy to achieve great results yourself. Most often, we work in teams. Often it will be difficult for you to be an expert in every field. It is easier for each team member to have slightly different experiences and knowledge to achieve much better results together than alone (synergy effect).
Plus, trust your team. I know you will point out that they will not do it as well as you, but it is impossible to be in two places simultaneously and work on two problems at the same time. Having a bad day, you won’t feel bad about transferring all responsibility to the team.
Set your goal
What do you really want to achieve? But really. This one for which you can work hard to make it happen. Do you want to be a super recognizable expert of a given technology and go to many conferences? Do you prefer to be really good at your job and come home immediately afterward to spend time with your family?
Do not allow yourself to be dictated by others to live your life. You don’t have to meet the expectations of other people, including your immediate family, parents, or your employer. Knowing what you want in life and where you are going will allow you to set boundaries and focus your ambitions on what is really important to you.
Also, remember that there is no right way in life. There are many ways to go about everything. One is faster, and the other is slower. It is up to you what path you will follow in your life.
You can’t learn everything
Most of the things you will learn in your professional and private life are those you will learn independently. School or studies are just the basics and encourage you to discover this huge ocean of possibilities on your own. However, if you try hard, it is impossible to learn everything.
Nobody expects you to remember everything. The most important thing is to look for and discover solutions to problems.
There are so many concepts and technologies in IT that you will always have to choose what you want to learn. Nobody will tell you directly what to learn. You can use roadmaps as inspiration, but it’s still up to you. Define what and how you want to learn to reduce being overwhelmed by the enormity of available knowledge.
I often browse job offers to find out what the employers are looking for. Then, after a short analysis, I put many topics on my list of topics to be developed. Not everything interests me, but job offers are an excellent example of what companies expect (nice to have), especially those we would like to work with.
Coding is just part of the work you do. Remember to take care of non-technical skills, including communication, problem-solving and critical thinking.
Ultimately, act according to your beliefs because it is only up to you how you live your life. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. It costs nothing and can give a lot.