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
dark markets 2022 <a href="https://darkfoxdrugsmarket.com/ ">dark web websites </a>
free dark web <a href="https://cannahomedrugsonline.com/ ">darknet site </a>
dark market 2022 <a href="https://versusmarketplace24.com/ ">darknet drugs </a>
darknet marketplace <a href="https://cannahome-darknet-drugstore.com/ ">deep web drug markets </a>
dark market list <a href="https://darkfoxmarket-darknet.com/ ">tor marketplace </a>
tor market links <a href="https://alphabayprojectmarket.com/ ">cannazon darknet market </a>
dark website <a href="https://darkfoxmarketdarknett.com/ ">deep web search </a>
how to access dark web <a href="https://darkfox-market.com/ ">darkmarket link </a>
onion market <a href="https://darkfox-dark-market.com/ ">dark web search engine </a>
tor market links <a href="https://darkmarketdarkfox.com/ ">darkmarket link </a>
dark market url <a href="https://versusmarket-linkk.com/ ">darkmarket url </a>
darknet drug links <a href="https://darkfoxmarketonline.com/ ">darknet site </a>
how to get on dark web <a href="https://darkfoxdarkweb.com/ ">tor marketplace </a>
dark market list <a href="https://darkmarketcannahome.com/ ">dark web access </a>
dark web sites links <a href="https://cannahome-drugs-online.com/ ">darknet site </a>
darknet market links <a href="https://dark-market-cannahome.com/ ">darknet market links </a>
darknet market lists <a href="https://cannahomedarkweb.com/ ">deep dark web </a>
dark market 2022 <a href="https://alphabaymarketsdarknet.com/ ">deep web onion url </a>
dark market list <a href="https://cannahomedarkwebdrugstore.com/ ">tor market </a>
darknet seiten <a href="https://cannahomedarknetdrugstore.com/ ">tor market links </a>
dark web market list <a href="https://alphabayprojectmarket.com/ ">darknet paypal accounts </a>
dark web sites <a href="https://darkfoxdarknetmarket.com/ ">how to access dark web </a>
darkmarket <a href="https://versusmarketplacee.com/ ">dark market 2022 </a>
dark net <a href="https://alphabaymarketsonion.com/ ">dark web payment methods </a>
how to get on dark web <a href="https://darkfoxmarket-linkk.com/ ">darknet market lists </a>
dark web market list <a href="https://drdarkfoxmarket.com/ ">tor markets </a>
drug markets dark web <a href="https://darkweb-darkfox.com/ ">blackweb </a>
how to get on dark web <a href="https://darkfoxmarket-linkk.com/ ">darknet market lists </a>
dark web market links <a href="https://cannahomemarket-url.com/ ">darknet websites </a>
dark web site <a href="https://versusdrugsmarketplace.com/ ">blackweb official website </a>
darknet sites <a href="https://darkfoxdrugsonline.com/ ">dark web drug marketplace </a>
deep web sites <a href="https://darkfox-darkmarket.com/ ">how to get on dark web </a>
tor dark web <a href="https://cannahomedarkmarketx.com/ ">darknet market list </a>
dark market list <a href="https://darkfox-marketplace.com/ ">tor darknet </a>
tor darknet <a href="https://versusmarket-darknet.com/ ">dark web market links </a>
darknet drug links <a href="https://darkfoxmarketplacee.com/ ">dark websites </a>
darknet sites <a href="https://darkfoxdrugsonline.com/ ">dark web drug marketplace </a>
dark web site <a href="https://versusdrugsmarketplace.com/ ">blackweb official website </a>
dark web market links <a href="https://cannahomemarket-url.com/ ">darknet websites </a>
dark web market list <a href="https://cypher-darkweb-drugstore.com/ ">onion market </a>
how to get on dark web <a href="https://alphabaymarket24.com/ ">dark web cheap electronics </a>
best darknet markets <a href="https://alphabayonionmarkets.com/ ">cypher market url </a>
dark web market <a href="https://cannahomeonlinedrugs.com/ ">dark market onion </a>
how to get on dark web <a href="https://darkfox-market.com/ ">deep web drug links </a>
dark market url <a href="https://darkfox-darkmarket-online.com/ ">tor market url </a>
tor markets 2022 <a href="https://cypher-darknet-drugstore.com/ ">darknet sites </a>
darknet markets <a href="https://darkwebdarkfox.com/ ">deep web drug url </a>
dark net <a href="https://darkfox-dark-market.com/ ">darknet sites </a>
darknet seiten <a href="https://alphabaymarketsonion.com/ ">dark web onion markets </a>
darknet drugs <a href="https://mykingdommarket.com/ ">blackweb </a>
Pages
Add new comment