Having worked in web development for 19 years has its advantages, but there are plenty of disadvantages too. Gray hairs and wrinkles are a topic for another post. I’m talking about all that useless knowledge (table layout, anyone?) you still carry around and how you can get stuck in your ways. Of course, by “you” I mean me.
The last few years I’ve gotten a little lazy. With lots going on in my personal life, I've relied on the tools I already had to get me through projects at work. Besides, at 55 years old, who wants to always be studying up on the latest cool new fad in web development?
Turns out, I do.
It’s shocking just how quickly I got behind. Within a year or two, young developers on my team are doing things and using tools I’m too nervous to try. It makes me feel a little dated and old, and that is one thing I will not put up with.
I may be old, yes, but I still adore building web sites and have no intention of retiring to a rocking chair. It’s time, I realize, for a plan. So I came up with one, and I’m sharing it with you in case you find it useful or can add some good ideas.
Eat your fruits and veggies. Seriously, now is the time to take care of yourself. You need the energy to keep up with the youngsters. A little exercise probably wouldn’t hurt, either [insert groan].
Don’t rest on laurels. It sounds harsh, but no one cares (too much) what you built back in the day. All the world cares about is what you are building now and what you’re going to create tomorrow.
Change your habits. It’s so easy to do things the same old way. It's quick, it's painless, and it's familiar enough you could do it in your sleep. But maybe that's the problem. If you're sleepwalking through your work, maybe it's time to incorporate some new technologies that could inspire and reinvigorate you. Shake things up by trying something new--change your development workflow, experiment with a new platform, or play around with a new language.
Listen to and learn from the kids. Yeah, they don’t have the range or depth of our knowledge. But they do know what’s trendy, cool and cutting edge. You may be (almost) old enough to be their grandparent, but you can still learn from them. Ask a kid you admire to teach you something. Anything.
Do something that scares you. If design terrifies you, join lynda.com and challenge yourself to create a set of graphically rich mockups. If command line gives you dry mouth, find a tutorial and open up Terminal. If you’re nervous about Sass, start using it. Today.
Crack those books...and the online tutorials, courses, blogs, articles, feeds and newsletters. Anywhere the latest techniques and tools are explained, be there. Every single day.
Rethink your niche. Step back and take a high-level view of the industry. It's changed a lot since you started playing in this game (maybe as a jack-of-all-trades webmaster?). The explosion of new platforms and technologies means exciting new areas of specialization have opened up. Find the two or three that interest you most, and focus your time and energy on those.
Recommit to your career. Just because we’re older doesn’t mean we can’t code anymore or that we’re only fit for management. Unless we’ve stopped trying. Have you stopped trying?
Don’t. Ever. Stop. Trying. Because age is fricking irrelevant.
Comments
new alphabay darknet market <a href="https://deep-drugstore-online.link/ ">darkfox darknet market </a> https://deep-drugstore-online.shop/ - dark web links 2022
dark markets czech republic <a href="https://darkweb-darknet-markets.com/ ">urls for darknet markets </a> [url=https://darkweb-darknet-markets.com/ ]dark markets argentina [/url]
alphabay link reddit <a href="https://darksitemarkets.link/ ">deep web market links reddit </a> https://darksitemarkets.link/ - brick market
darknet market link updates <a href="https://darknettormarkt.com/ ">drugs on the deep web </a> https://darknettormarketslinks.shop/ - top 10 dark websites
darknet market litecoin <a href="https://darknetwebmarkets.link/ ">how to buy drugs on the darknet </a> https://darknetwebmarkets.com/ - darknet search
darknet market link updates <a href="https://darkweb-darknet.com/ ">outlaw market darknet </a> https://darkweb-darknet.com/ - top darknet drug sites
darknet markets onion address <a href="https://darknetwebmarkets.shop/ ">decabol pills </a> https://darksitemarkets.com/ - best darknet markets for vendors
price of black market drugs <a href="https://darkweb-darknet.shop/ ">darknet markets onion addresses </a> https://darkweb-darknet.shop/ - new darknet market reddit
darknet market drug prices <a href="https://darkweb-onion-markets.link/ ">darknet market steroids </a> https://darkweb-onion-markets.com/ - what is the best darknet market
stromectol reviews [url=https://orderstromectoloverthecounter.fo.team/#]stromectol generic [/url]
stromectol order online <a href="https://orderstromectoloverthecounter.fo.team/#">stromectol sale </a>
stromectol for scabies https://aleserme.estranky.sk/clanky/stromectol-espana.html
darknet market oxycontin <a href="https://darkwebtormarketslink.link/ ">ruonion </a> [url=https://darkwebtormarketslink.link/ ]black market online website [/url]
Cocorico Market link <a href="https://darknettormarkt.shop/ ">dark markets guyana </a> [url=https://darknettormarkt.shop/ ]alphabay market [/url]
tor darknet market <a href="https://drdarknetmarkets.shop/ ">dark markets peru </a> [url=https://drdarknetmarkets.shop/ ]tor2door link [/url]
what darknet markets are still up <a href="https://darkweb-tor-market.shop/ ">deep cp links </a> [url=https://darkweb-tor-market.link/ ]dark web markets [/url]
Cocorico Market link <a href="https://darknettormarkt.shop/ ">dark markets guyana </a> [url=https://darknettormarkt.shop/ ]alphabay market [/url]
darknet links market <a href="https://darkwebmarketlistik.shop/ ">hidden uncensored wiki </a> [url=https://darkwebonionmarketplace.com/ ]dark markets iceland [/url]
reddit working darknet markets <a href="https://darkweb-onion-markets.shop/ ">darknet drug prices </a> [url=https://darkweb-tor-market.com/ ]dark web counterfeit money [/url]
deep dark web <a href="https://alphabaymarketonionx.com/ ">darknet market steroids </a> [url=https://alphabaymarketone.com/ ]how to buy things off the black market [/url]
best darknet market australia <a href="https://darknettormarketslink.shop/ ">where to find darknet market links </a> https://darknettormarketslink.link/ - top ten dark web sites
brucelean darknet market <a href="https://drdarknetmarket.link/ ">darknet markets onion address </a> https://drdarknetmarket.link/ - links tor 2022
darknet search <a href="https://darkwebdrugstore.link/ ">deep web drug url </a> [url=https://darkwebdrugstore.link/ ]how to get on the dark web [/url]
underground market online <a href="https://darkwebdrugsonion.shop/ ">darknet markets list 2022 </a> [url=https://darkwebdrugstore.com/ ]what darknet markets are up [/url]
phenazepam pills <a href="https://darknetwebmarket.shop/ ">dark markets netherlands </a> https://darknetwebmarket.link/ - how to install deep web
cannahome market darknet <a href="https://darkwebdarknetmarkets.link/ ">tor2door link </a> [url=https://darkwebdarknetmarkets.shop/ ]counterfeit money onion [/url]
dark markets latvia <a href="https://drdarknetmarkets.com/ ">darknet sites </a> [url=https://drdarknetmarkets.com/ ]current best darknet market [/url]
dark web links <a href="https://alphabayzone.com/ ">where to find darknet market links </a> [url=https://alphabay-mania.com/ ]top dumps shop [/url]
bitcoin dark web <a href="https://alphabay-zone.com/ ">darknet union </a> https://alphabay-zone.com/ - darknet drugs dublin
links the hidden wiki <a href="https://darkwebdrugsonion.com/ ">bitcoin black market </a> [url=https://darkwebdrugsonion.link/ ]dark web engine search [/url]
dynabolts pills <a href="https://darkwebsmarketss.com/ ">dark web illegal links </a> [url=https://darkwebonlinemarkets.shop/ ]darknet market drug [/url]
bohemia url <a href="https://darkwebmarketcc.com/ ">darknet markets fake id </a> [url=https://darkwebmarketcc.com/ ]new dark web links [/url]
alphabay solutions reviews <a href="https://darkwebtormarketslink.shop/ ">dark web vendors </a> [url=https://darkwebtormarketslinks.com/ ]tor websites reddit [/url]
darknet live stream <a href="https://darkwebdarknetmarket.shop/ ">darknet markets wax weed </a> [url=https://darkwebdarknetmarket.shop/ ]dark markets mexico [/url]
bohemia url <a href="https://darkwebmarketcc.com/ ">darknet markets fake id </a> [url=https://darkwebmarketcc.com/ ]new dark web links [/url]
dark markets mexico <a href="https://darknettormarketslinks.link/ ">darknet black market sites </a> [url=https://darknettormarketslinks.link/ ]dark markets france [/url]
back market trustworthy <a href="https://darkwebdarknet.link/ ">site darknet liste </a> https://darkwebdarknet.link/ - dark web in spanish
reddit darknet market uk <a href="https://darktormarketslinks.shop/ ">trusted darknet markets weed </a> https://darkweb-darknet-market.com/ - darknet markets 2022 reddit
dark market <a href="https://alphabaymarketlinkss.com/ ">new alphabay darknet market </a> https://alphabaymarketlinkss.com/ - popular dark websites
pax marketplace <a href="https://darknetsitelinks.shop/ ">darknet guns drugs </a> https://darknettormarketslink.com/ - darknet marketplace drugs
current list of darknet markets <a href="https://darkweb-darknet-markets.link/ ">versus project market </a> https://darkweb-darknet-markets.com/ - darknet search
euroguns deep web <a href="https://darkwebdarknet.com/ ">onion sex shop </a> https://darkweb-tor-markets.shop/ - what is darknet markets
dark web site <a href="https://alphabaylinkdarknet.com/ ">how to get to darknet market </a> https://alphabaylinkdarknet.com/ - deep web url links
dark web store <a href="https://darksitemarkets.link/ ">underground card shop </a> https://darksitemarkets.shop/ - dark web adderall
darknet markets still open <a href="https://darkwebmarketlinkxx.link/ ">where to find darknet market links redit </a> https://darkwebmarketlinkxx.link/ - buying drugs on the darknet
tor marketplace <a href="https://alphabaylinkmarketplace.com/ ">most reliable darknet markets </a> https://alphabaylink2023.com/ - cannahome darknet market
darknet market thc oil <a href="https://darknettormarkt.shop/ ">alphabay url </a> https://darknettormarkt.link/ - reddit darknet market superlist
fake id onion <a href="https://drdarknetmarkets.link/ ">darknet markets dread </a> https://drdarknetmarkets.link/ - dark markets andorra
darknet market credit cards <a href="https://darkwebtormarketslink.com/ ">darknet market redit </a> https://darkwebtormarketslink.com/ - reddit darknet market links
bitcoin drugs market <a href="https://darkweb-tor-market.shop/ ">dark web marketplace </a> https://darkweb-tor-market.link/ - darknet onion links drugs
versus project link <a href="https://darkweb-darknet-market.shop/ ">alphabay link reddit </a> https://darkweb-darknet-market.shop/ - dark web buy credit cards
underground black market website <a href="https://darkwebdarknetmarket.com/ ">tor link search engine </a> https://darkwebdarknetmarket.link/ - dark web buy bitcoin
Pages
Add new comment