Things I Need To Focus On - Part 2 

I am listening to the song "Monsters Theme" by Jon Hopkins and it is like an variation on his other song - my FAVOURITE coding song ever - "Candles." So grateful to have rediscovered it yesterday. It feels just like the biggest hug from life in the world and I want to cry. 

I'm sorry. 

I can't say anything else.

I can't say anything more than that. I just feel so inspired. I love what I do SO much. Thank you.

Using chat gpt to help understand instructions

Sometimes I can't understand what people are saying to me in writing. Whether that be instructions on a ticket or comments on a PR I just can't understand what people are saying to me.

In that cases it can be helpful to use chat GPT. I just literally can say to it "what does this sentence mean." This saves me from having to write lots and lots of follow up messages.

It allows me to crack on and get the job done faster. Because not only does it bother the other person.

It breaks my flow. Using chat gpt I can get into a real flow state with my PRs that have been reviewed, with my tickets, and with breaking down my tickets, and my work, and so on.

Using chat gpt to help plan steps

I am done with the taboo of not using chat GPT. The consensus from the best engineers I know is that it's another form of Google (with many caveats - I KNOW - I have been using it in some way or other since it became a thing). But the impact of Chat GPT on level 1 engineers shouldn't be underestimated. "Hey I want to do this kind of a thing in Django how can it be done" is a great starting point. If it can be Google'd then why can't it be chat GPT'd? I wasted a lot of time and lost a lot of progress by listening to people who insisted to me that I mustn't use chat GPT. Sorry that ship has sailed now. Of course you have to be careful and it has to be as carefully kept away from company code as possible but it is a massive accelerator - I am 100% serious with my communication style and learning style and it is like a rubber ring or a life vest to me. 

Keeping my notes organised and formatted in some kind of a logical way 

Urgh gross. I left the hard ones til last. I have notes.

They are the steps broken down of a ticket. I am working so hard on doing this and I am doing this for myself so so well. I am really so so proud of myself and I am doing this so so well thank you. I love it so so much thank you. I am so proud of myself. Well done to me! I have worked so hard to learn to break down the steps for myself and now I have finally gotten here.

But there's one more thing.

There's one more thing here please. Thank you. What is that one more thing? What is this one more thing? It is finding a way in the tickets, and using that way, to make note of my help that I get along the way; I pair with people; people help me; and they give me pointers and notes. 

I need to find a way to story these in my personal notes that makes it possible to go back to them. 

So I don't get lost and stuck inside of my own personal notes please - thank you. 

Using my notes regularly

I need to then refer back to these notes.

I need to refer back to these notes often enough.

I need to both refer back to the steps that I have written for myself - and the notes that I wrote further on and after getting help with and on all of the steps please - thanks. THANKS!!!

This is how I see the world!

Only asking questions when I have formulated what the problem is, what is going on. And why I think can’t understand it.

Don't just ask questions.

Don't just dive in and ask your questions.

It's better to do something like this, to say: "Hey. 

I have a question for you please.

I have thought about this really hard and formulated it and broke it down.

I have tried this thing.

It doesn't work. I have tried this and this and this. It's still not working.

I think it might be this. 

What do you think about this please? Thank you."

THANK YOU.

Just diving into it. Consistently. Just diving into it again and again and again. Thank you. (And just saying no!).

I did this today. 

And it was sooo amazing omg. CODE IS SCARY. GET OVER IT. CODING CAN BE HARD. 

GET OVER IT. CODING PROBLEMS CAN BE HARD. 

GET OVER IT OMG.

I sat down today and I did the work. "The most effective way to do it, is to do it." - Amelia Earheart

THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO DO IT IS TO DO IT. THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO DO IT IS TO DO IT. THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO DO IT IS TO DO IT. SOMETIMES I JUST HAVE TO SIT DOWN AND FORCE MYSELF TO DO IT OMG.

THE RESULTS HAVE BEEN AMAZING. 

I HAVE HAD THE BEST TWO DAYS OF MY LIFE. OMG.

I HAVE HAD THE BEST TWO SOFTWARE ENGINEERING DAYS OF MY LIFE. AND OTHERWISE. THANK YOU.