I can feel the energy of everything I love the most in the world

I was supposed to be relaxing on the train and enjoying the sunrise but instead I'm writing this oops.

I am trying to work lest on commutes to rest my eyes, to get the rest I so very badly need, and so on.

But everything has changed and I want to reflect on why things are going so well

I finally had my breakthrough.

When I start a new job, I have to spend a lot of time reassuring people that I WILL have my breakthrough. The problem is my breakthrough in a new job can take 5-6 months.

I am very lucky that people will give me the time and are willing to invest in me - but also, and I quote previous managers, once I've had my breakthrough, it is "worth its weight in gold." Once I get things I am very, very fast, but I am also just reliable, have a good memory, am efficient, good at getting things done, bring high quality, attention to detail - and that passion and enthusiasm that was always there gets amplified. I am an amazing employee. 

I will stand up high and sing this and scream this on the rooftops.

I am not afraid to say this - sorry.

But it wasn't just a breakthrough on the technical side. That came too.

It was a breakthrough on how to work. I know I keep saying it again and again - what worked - but I can neither bear nor afford to lose what I have now.

I would like to reflect on the behaviours that have made this work one more time.

Learning Ways of Work Properly as a Software Engineer

This was the number one thing that had to change - apart from the technical stuff just clicking of course - this is the number one thing that had to work. This was my first proper software engineering job.

I was a trainee in my last role.

I struggled to adapt properly to how REAL software engineers need to work. There was no rule book and nobody told me.

So I had to figure this out for myself. So how do real software engineers really work? Bearing in mind I have less responsibilities compared to my seniors and also the company and my management have worked so hard to give me good focus time.

1. 9 am, or 9:30, whatever - I get in to work and I get ON with things. 
2. My to-do list has already been written and so I KNOW WHAT I AM GETTING ON WITH. Chances are, I have wrapped up my day the day before and so I already know what it is that I am doing.
3. I like to have breakfast at work and it's just acknowledging that and admitting it to my self - I have to make sure I get in to work early enough to eat before and then to start working on time. 
4. 9 am is ideal. I can get more done in the time.
5. Those early hours in the morning are very very productive! So it's very very important. But if I'm a bit later I let it go. And just move on with my coding.
6. DIVING STRAIGHT IN: I just open Pycharm.
7. I don't faff about. I don't read Slack channels. 
8. If someone has messaged me unless it's my boss (who is also my closest and at the moment only proper teammate who I work with directly on the software engineering side of the AI team), then I might not get back to it. Or due to ADHD I might but I won't invest too much of myself in it. Or I will but I won't write as much as I used to. I have to focus on the coding nowadays.
9. I will use my focus time to focus. Unless I have a team retro or a standup then I usually have most of the mornings carved out. So I USE THAT TIME FOR ENGINEERING TICKETS. NOTHING ELSE EXCEPT ENGINEERING TICKETS IS ALLOWED TO BE DONE IN THAT TIME. I work my tickets and if there is nothing else I scope my tickets and if there is absolutely nothing else at all then I have my Python courses but that hasn't happened for months.
10. If I get stuck, I KEEP ON TRYING. I ask for help but I KEEP ON TRYING. Usually I can answer my own questions. Usually, with time, I can unblock myself. People realise this sooner or later and they begin to answer less and less. Oh well 😂
11. I KEEP ON GOING. I STAY RESILIENT. If a 2 hour problem comes up that blocks me on my ticket, I deal with that problem. That is a part of what software engineering is all about, after all. I don't let it get me down. This allows me to move on very quickly. For example, if two of my test suites are failing; and it takes me 2 hours to fix the first suite (unlikely but possible); then I move on because CHANCES ARE I CAN FIX THE NEXT SUITE IN 5 MINUTES. If I don't let it get me down anymore then I can usually get things done.
12. I keep on going; if I finish some work I try to take a break but I try not to keep it too long. I am learning my balance. ADHD likes breaks. When I have improved a bit more I might go back to allowing myself a bit more breaks after a longer piece of work and indeed, it is probably wise to keep on taking breaks. 
13. But I no longer need loads of time to process what I have just done. It has finally "clicked". It has been building up for a long time. Thank you

A final thought is on tooling.

Somebody really kind and really expert and an absolute genius read over my notes and he said the thing that really stood out for him was "using the tools that I need to use." This could mean two things:

1. Using pen and paper - NEVER to be underestimated for me in any respect or an any front - processing, planning, note-taking, unblocking myself
2. Using AI where needed - I REALLY benefit from the conversational style - I can't read very well - and things just CLICK for me when I read them on AI - git stuff, IDE stuff, Python stuff, asking AI simple questions about how Python works, asking for coding or testing suggestions (because of my knowledge and love for the craft and solid background, I can think about what it has suggested, and make my analyses based on that).
3. This has made me 10x more efficient as I only ask my manager for the difficult stuff. Saving him a lot of time. As well as myself. I am now finally pulling my weight and am now officially a proper contributor to the team. And no-one is as happy as I am.

Me in my natural element of excitement, energy and enthusiasm. And electricity ⚡️ 

I just drove past a bunch of pylons. I could feel them before I even see them

And that is all I have to say here, please. Thanks.