In my recent blog post, I delved into the challenges of staying current in the ever-evolving tech landscape—an obstacle I’ve personally confronted. Juggling large-scale projects, coaching across time zones, managing familial responsibilities, and assuming leadership roles in my community can make finding time for side projects seem a tad overwhelming.

As I dive back into development, I’m rediscovering that there’s more to life than work. Setting up a development computer from scratch can be daunting. In previous roles, time was a luxury I couldn’t afford, juggling a struggling team, an impending acquisition, and the demands of high school kids. Setting up my development environment became a perpetual “tomorrow” task, a procrastination pitfall.  Yet, I’m finding the joy in doing it while I have a little downtime. 

Silence reigns in the code, a serene simplicity I had forgotten to appreciate in software development. As an introvert, I’ve overlooked the calming focus of immersing myself in coding challenges, despite the frustration that sometimes accompanies them.  It’s also an interesting challenge to find things to work on that add value and are fun to put together.  I didn’t find many projects outside of the “book” tutorials that I was working on.  So I’m going to take some time and put together a few projects for all of us to work through together. 

For those wondering where to start, consider these suggestions:

1. Pick a Project and get started:
   1. Visit my projects page if you’re looking for a fun side project to work on.  I’m going to create some projects that will hopefully get your creative juices flowing and hopefully won’t take too much time from the others joys in your life. 
   2. Team Leads: Pick Up Non-Critical Path Stories: If you’re a team lead, consider taking on a story that’s not on the critical path. This allows you to stay involved without hindering your team’s progress.
   3. Managers and Above: Engage in a Side Project: For managers and above, balancing work responsibilities can be challenging. Avoid taking on tasks that might interfere with your team’s workflow and deadlines. Instead, work on a side project, whether it’s open source or a personal endeavor, to keep your skills sharp.
   4. Consider volunteer work through organizations like Hour of Code
2. Keep Your GitHub (or Other Tool) Updated: Maintain an updated GitHub profile or use your preferred tool. Take tutorials and engage in a side project, even if it’s not public. Be creative with your profile—I’m revamping mine to reflect my current state. While most of my projects are private, I’ll soon share ideas for projects you can explore in your free time.
3. Stay Informed about Tech Trends: Even if you’re not actively coding, stay informed about the latest trends. The tech landscape has seen significant shifts, from Mainframes to current software engineering to AI engineering. Explore websites, blogs, books, podcasts, or video content to understand the changes and how your teams can adapt. Finding the right media for staying informed and dedicating time gradually will help you stay connected to the dynamic world of technology. Here are a few suggestions for those that like to read.
   • Reddit
   • TechCrunch
   • Hacker News