JavaScript in small doses

I've said it several times now, but JavaScript is hard. Other than golf, this has been the most challenging thing I've set my mind to. I've taken multiple approaches, some I think have paid off better than others, and I'm chipping away at it, but it's still giving me fits on a regular basis. FreeCodeCamp has been an amazing resource for getting practice in writing the actual code, but as I've already stated, it can't be used on it's own. You have to supplement freeCodeCamp with other resources or you'll soon find yourself in over your head, which I have now. I've been chipping away at the Basic Algorithm section, but I can't complete the last few without looking at the solutions, so I'm taking my ball and going home for a minute. Don't get me wrong, I've advanced quite a bit in the last few days of exhaustive work on the JavaScript section, but I need a fresh perspective. Luckily, Frontend Masters has a plethora of JavaScript courses, and I can also revisit my course by Andrei Neagoie, "Advanced JavaScript Concepts," to help me bridge the gap of understanding. For now, though, I need a little separation.

Separation doesn't mean a break from web development or coding, though, far from it. I can't afford to lose a single day of productivity, so I'm looking elsewhere to learn while I give myself a break from JavaScript. I didn't have to look far; freeCodeCamp has another certification section on frontend libraries, so I've decided to dive into that while my wounds heal. I quickly got through the Bootstrap section; I've used Bootstrap quite a bit and the section was pretty short, so this wasn't a tall task. Now, I'm about halfway through the jQuery section, which I've used much less but am having a pretty easy time with the section, nonetheless. While I still feel like I'm learning something, it's nice to take a breather from JavaScript before I go to a dark place with this. Up next, I'll tackle the section on Sass, and then it's on to the nitty-gritty of React and Redux, which should be fun, to say the least.

I've been on a warpath with learning web development from the very start, putting in long hours after working long hours without pausing for a second. The main reason I've been working so hard on this is that I want to make the transition to a new career as quickly as possible. The golf season looms, which usually starts about mid-October and runs through April, an arduous 6 months that is both mentally and physically draining. I've had a nice summer with a lot of time to work on this and, while I expect it was impossible from the start, my goal was to have landed a new job by the end of the year. As I get into the season, things are going to become much more difficult, but it's important that I continue on my journey and double-down on my efforts to make this happen. This means that sleep is going to have take even more of a backseat than it already is, but the end result will be worth it. My only concern is that thing called burn-out, but as long as I'm cognizant of the threat, I can combat it like I am now by shelving JavaScript while I regroup. In this journey, it's important that I know myself, what I'm capable of, and what my limits are before I overstep those boundaries and trigger a burn-out like none I've ever faced before.

Until tomorrow!