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
largest darknet market <a href="https://darkweb-darknet.shop/ ">top ten dark web sites </a>
reddit darknet market noobs bible <a href="https://darknetsitelinks.com/ ">how to install deep web </a>
bohemia darknet market <a href="https://darknetweblists.com/ ">darknet markets australia </a>
Amazing stuff. With thanks.
safeway pharmacy store hours [url=https://canadapharmacyspace.com/]pharmacy online school[/url] pharmacy technician online classes
darkmarket list <a href="https://darkweb-darknet-markets.link/ ">darknet database market </a>
dark markets norway <a href="https://darkweb-darknet-market.shop/ ">deep web search engine url </a>
darknet market black <a href="https://darkwebtormarketslinks.link/ ">top 10 dark websites </a>
best darknet market for lsd <a href="https://darktormarketslinks.shop/ ">top darknet markets 2022 </a>
Amazing stuff. With thanks.
safeway pharmacy store hours [url=https://canadapharmacyspace.com/]pharmacy online school[/url] pharmacy technician online classes
dark markets slovenia <a href="https://darknetonlinemarkets.link/ ">popular dark websites </a>
darknet market get pills <a href="https://darkwebdarknet.link/ ">black market deep </a>
dark markets malta <a href="https://darknettormarkt.shop/ ">dark web search engine 2022 </a>
deep web markets <a href="https://drdarknetmarket.link/ ">dark markets peru </a>
canazon <a href="https://darkwebdarknetmarket.com/ ">monero darknet markets </a>
dark markets malta <a href="https://darknettormarkt.shop/ ">dark web search engine 2022 </a>
dark web links 2022 <a href="https://darknetwebmarket.link/ ">dark web sites links </a>
tor market links <a href="https://darknettormarketslink.com/ ">monkey xtc pill </a>
darknet markets with tobacco <a href="https://drdarknetmarkets.shop/ ">onion websites for credit cards </a>
darknet market link updates <a href="https://darktormarketslinks.com/ ">cannazon market url </a>
darknet drugs guide <a href="https://darkwebdarknetmarkets.shop/ ">dark markets estonia </a>
darknet drug dealer <a href="https://darkwebmarketlistik.com/ ">deep web links 2022 reddit </a>
darknet market link updates <a href="https://darktormarketslinks.com/ ">cannazon market url </a>
dark web drug markets <a href="https://darkweb-darknet-market.com/ ">best darknet markets </a>
black market drugs guns <a href="https://darkweb-darknet-market.link/ ">darknet selling drugs </a>
darknet market lists <a href="https://darkwebonlinemarkets.com/ ">darknet market </a>
bitcoin dark website <a href="https://darkweb-tor-markets.link/ ">dark market onion </a>
darknet list market <a href="https://darkweb-darknet-markets.link/ ">canazon </a>
versus project market url <a href="https://darknetonionmarkets.shop/ ">dark markets norway </a>
Wow a good deal of very good facts!
prescription drugs become illegal when [url=https://canadadrugspower.com/]are canadian pharmacies legit[/url] pharmacy technician online class
darknet market lists <a href="https://darkwebonlinemarkets.com/ ">darknet market </a>
australian dark web markets <a href="https://darkwebmarketlinkxx.shop/ ">deep net websites </a>
Wow a good deal of very good facts!
prescription drugs become illegal when [url=https://canadadrugspower.com/]are canadian pharmacies legit[/url] pharmacy technician online class
darknet stock market <a href="https://ddarknetmarketonion.com/ ">guide to darknet markets </a>
darknet markets financial times <a href="https://darktormarketslinks.link/ ">Abacus Market darknet </a>
Wow a good deal of very good facts!
prescription drugs become illegal when [url=https://canadadrugspower.com/]are canadian pharmacies legit[/url] pharmacy technician online class
darknet market place search <a href="https://darknettormarketslink.com/ ">versus market darknet </a>
canazon <a href="https://darknetweblists.shop/ ">tor darknet market address </a>
the darknet drugs <a href="https://drdarknetmarkets.shop/ ">how to buy from darknet </a>
darknet links <a href="https://alphabaylinkmarket.com/ ">deep web hitmen url </a> https://alphabaylinkdarknet.com/ - darknet drug prices reddit
guns dark market <a href="https://darkwebsmarketss.shop/ ">alphabay url </a>
guns dark market <a href="https://darkwebsmarketss.shop/ ">alphabay url </a>
dark internet <a href="https://alphabayurlkeeper.com/ ">reddit darknet markets uk </a> https://alphabayurlkeeper.com/ - history of darknet markets
hidden wiki tor onion urls directories <a href="https://darkweb-tor-market.shop/ ">darknet drugs reddit </a>
dark internet <a href="https://alphabayurlkeeper.com/ ">reddit darknet markets uk </a> https://alphabayurlkeeper.com/ - history of darknet markets
onionhub <a href="https://darknetsitelinks.com/ ">dark markets bosnia </a>
what darknet markets are up <a href="https://darkweb-tor-markets.shop/ ">deep market </a>
best darknet gun market <a href="https://darkweb-onion-markets.com/ ">black market url deep web </a>
dark web market list <a href="https://alphabayonions.com/ ">asap darknet market </a> https://alphabaydarknett.com/ - deep web link 2022
darknet market 2022 reddit <a href="https://darknetweblists.shop/ ">monkey xtc pill </a>
active darknetmarkets <a href="https://darkwebsmarketss.link/ ">buy bank accounts darknet </a>
Pages
Add new comment