The Developer’s Journey: Navigating Doubt, Frustration, and Growth

-

Many software developers aspire to work for leading tech companies and become experts in their field. This journey, however, takes time and perseverance—excellence doesn’t happen overnight. Along the way, it’s common to face self-doubt, frustration, and a flood of uncertain thoughts.

Here’s a look at some common mental hurdles developers encounter, along with practical ways to move past them:

1. “Do I have the right job?”

Happiness is key.

“If you don’t feel it, flee from it. Go where you are celebrated, not merely tolerated.” - Paul F. Davis

A “right” job means different things to different people—whether it’s fulfillment, growth, compensation, culture, or peace of mind. Reflect on what truly matters to you. If your current role doesn’t align with those needs, it may be time to explore new opportunities.
Takeaway: Go where you feel valued, not just where you’re tolerated.

2. “Am I stuck doing the same thing?”

Mastery through innovation.
Repetition can feel draining, but you can reignite engagement by approaching tasks in new ways. Automate repetitive work, improve processes, or deepen your expertise. Mastery turns routine into opportunity.
Takeaway: Use your skills to transform how the work gets done.

3. “I’m frustrated with old technologies.”

Focus on solutions, not tools.
New technology is simply a better way to solve problems. Instead of chasing trends, concentrate on being a problem-solver. Often, blending reliable older tools with modern approaches yields the best results.
Takeaway: Be driven by solutions, not just by the tech stack.

4. “I don’t know what’s new out there.”

“Find out what you like doing best, and get someone to pay you for doing it.” - Katharine Whitehorn

Engage with communities.
Stay connected through platforms and communities related to your interests. But remember: not every trend deserves your attention. Pursue what genuinely excites you—sometimes passion sparks the next trend.
Takeaway: Learn from others, but build what you love.

5. “I don’t have time to learn.”

Design your routine intentionally.
Reevaluate your daily schedule. Replace low-value activities with dedicated learning time. Leverage open-source projects and communities to collaborate, share ideas, and grow with others.
Takeaway: Small, consistent efforts compound over time.

6. “I want to achieve goals overnight.”

Be realistic and collaborate.
Meaningful work takes time. Break big goals into smaller, realistic steps. Identify the roles needed and involve others whose strengths complement your own. Progress is a team effort.
Takeaway: Dream big, but build step by step.

Conclusion

It’s natural to fixate on the end goal, but true fulfillment comes from engaging with the journey itself. Embrace the process, stay adaptable, and remember:

“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” — Milton Berle

Every developer’s path is unique, but you’re not alone in these challenges. By shifting your focus from uncertainty to actionable growth, you can navigate your career with more clarity and confidence.

What are your thoughts? Have you found strategies that help you stay motivated and grow?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Contact application - Upgrade Asp.net Core 2.0 to 2.1

-
Image
In this article, we will look into steps for contact application - upgrade Asp.net Core 2.0 to 2.1, please see my previous articles about how we developed contact application: ContactApplication using ASP.NET Core Web API, Angular 6.0, and Visual Studio CodePart One: In the article, we will set up ASP.NET Core Web API project, and develop the Web API for contact CRUD operations. ContactApplication using ASP.NET Core Web API, Angular 6.0, and Visual Studio CodePart Two: In the article, we will setup Angular 6 within ASP.NET Core Web API Project, and develop the contact form & list component using Angular Material UI that will consume Web API which we have created in Part One. ContactApplication Azure Deployment: In this article, we are going to deploy/host a contact application with Visual Studio code to Azure web apps. Please note:   Previously we have used Asp.net Core 2.0.3 for contact application, now upgrade to Asp.net Core 2.1.5. This is download link for ...
Read more

Contact Application Using ASP.NET Core Web API, Angular 6.0, And Visual Studio Code - Part One

-
Image
We will develop a contact application using ASP.NET Core Web API, Angular 6.0, and Angular Material UI as shown in the below screenshots.  We will use Visual Studio code (VS code) for the development editor.  I have divided contact application development into two articles, Contact Application using ASP.NET Core Web API, Angular 6.0, and Visual Studio Code Part – 1 In the article, we will set up ASP.NET Core Web API project, and develop the Web API controller for contact CRUD operations. Contact Application using ASP.NET Core Web API, Angular 6.0, and Visual Studio Code Part – 2 In the article, we will setup Angular 6 within ASP.NET Core Web API Project, and develop the contact form & list component using Angular Material UI. So, starting with this article, first, we will see how we can create ASP.Net Core Web API Project. We have the following prerequisites, Visual Studio Code (VS code) editor Please see this  article  to see how we ca...
Read more

SQL Server Database Permission Scripts

-
#1 - Script to get list of all database name and its user in SQL Server USE MASTER   GO      SELECT  SL.dbname  AS   'Database Name' ,SL. name   AS   'User Name' ,SP.type_desc  AS   'Login Type' ,  SL.denylogin, SL.hasaccess, SL.isntname, SL.isntname, SL.isntgroup, SL.isntuser, SL.sysadmin,   SL.securityadmin, SL.serveradmin, SL.setupadmin, SL.processadmin, SL.diskadmin, SL.diskadmin,   SL.dbcreator, SL.bulkadmin  FROM  sys.server_principals  AS  SP   INNER   JOIN  sys.syslogins  AS  SL  ON  SP.SID = SL.SID   #2 - Script to get list of all database users and their roles in SQL Server Use Master   GO      exec  sp_msForEachDb ' use [?]   select  db_nam...
Read more

Create SSRS Drill Down Report

-
In this blog, we are going to learn about how we can create SSRS drill down report, please refer steps as following: To create a report server project Open SQL Server Data Tools. On the File menu, point to New, and then click Project. In the Installed Templates list, click Business Intelligence. Click Reporting Services. Click Report Server Project. If you do not see the "Business Intelligence" or "Report Server Project" options, you need to update SSDT with the Business Intelligence templates. In Name, type "ProductReports". Click OK to create the project. The ProductReports project is displayed in Solution Explorer. To create a new report definition file In the Solution Explorer pane, right-click the Reports folder, point to Add, and click New Item. If the Solution Explorer window is not visible, from the View menu, click Solution Explorer: In the Add New Item window, click Report. In Name, type “OrderReport.rdl” and then click...
Read more

Pass data to ASP.NET Web Service (ASMX) from Cross-Origin

-
Image
In this blog, we are going to create “Hello World” ASP.Net Web Service (ASMX) with parameter and allow request from cross-origin. Now here we implement ASP.Net Web Service from Visual Studio 2017.   We have created empty ASP.Net Web Application solution and added “demo.asmx” in solution. Then, added code for “HelloWorld” method with “name” parameter as mention below snippet: [WebMethod]      [ScriptMethod(ResponseFormat = ResponseFormat.Json)]      public   string  HelloWorld( string  text)      {      return   "Hello World "  + text;      }   We will invoke this web service using HTTP verb. So, we defined “ScriptMethodAttribute” for set response format JSON. We need to enable script service to invoke & pass parameter in Web Service from script as shown in below screenshot: Then...
Read more

Getting Start With Data Analysis Using SSAS Tabular Modeling In Excel - Part Two

-
Image
In this article, we are going to see how business users can utilize the tabular model for data analysis and visualization in Excel. This article depends on Part I. So, it would be great if you first go through this: Getting started with data analysis using SSAS Tabular Modeling in Excel - Part I We will see how we can create SSAS tabular model and setup measure, roles, calculated columns, hierarchies in tabular modeling. Now, we created a Tabular Model and deployed it on the analysis server. Let’s open Excel. Go to Data Tab, click on Get Data Option from a ribbon. Go to From Database, Analysis services. It will open Data connection wizard, enter server & credential details. Click on next. Select Tabular Model Database. Click on next. Now, Save Data Connection and Click on finish. Go to Insert Tab, Click on Pivot Table option from the ribbon. Select External Data Source. Click on choose connection. We can see our saved data connec...
Read more

Send an Email Reminder Notification Based on an Expiration Date using Power Automate

-
Image
Introduction    In this article, we are going to create an email reminder notification based on an expiration date using Power Automate. We will create a flow that’s run daily that reads & filters data from a SharePoint list that has list items that expire in the next 5 days. Then it will send an expiration notification email to a particular user.   SharePoint List - "ProductSales"     Columns  Type  Title  Text  ExpiryDate  DateTime   Let’s log in to Office.com with office 365 credentials. Go to the “Power Automate” tile and click on it.   It will be redirected to Power Automate Page. Click on Create button from left navigation.   Click on the scheduled flow tile. It will open the popup.       Create Recurrence Flow Enter the flow name and select a specific time when we want to schedule this workflow. Then, click on the create button. It will ...
Read more

SharePoint Interview Questions and Answers - Part Three

-
In article, We will see SharePoint Interview Questions and Answers which will helpful to understanding SharePoint concepts. Please refer this articles: SharePoint Interview Questions and Answers - Part One SharePoint Interview Questions and Answers - Part Two SharePoint Interview Questions and Answers - Part Three This is three part of SharePoint Interview Questions and Answers: 1.  Difference of site template Team Site Publishing site Developer site Project site Business intelligence site Custom template Blog site Enterprise wiki 2. Difference between team site and project site Project Sites * Project Sites has “Project Functionality” Site Feature activate by default. * A Project Summary Web Part is added to the main page by default. * Project Sites had “Task” list added to it by default. Team Sites * Team Sites has “Wiki Page Home Page” Site Feature activate by default. “Project Functionality” Feature is not active by default...
Read more

Send Email With SharePoint Lookup Columns Data Using Power Automate

-
Image
  Introduction   In this article, we are going to send an email with SharePoint Lookup Column data using Power Automate. We will create a flow that’s run weekly that fetches data from a SharePoint list which contains lookup columns. We will use the “Apply each” action to get lookup records.   SharePoint Parent List - "ProductSales"   Columns Type Title Text ExpiryDate DateTime SalePersonName LookUp (SalePerson List)   SharePoinChild List - "SalePerson"   Columns Type Title Text   In the above lists we have SalePersonName column which is actually the Title column from SalePerson List. When we “Parse Json” data in the above type of data we get two title fields in the dynamic column section. And sometimes workflow fails due to a null record in lookup column. Let’s see the data in the list as below,     Log in to Office.com with Office 365 credentials. Go to the “Power Automate” tile and click on it. It will be redirected to the Power Automate Pa...
Read more