In 2020, I've pushed the hard reset button to pursue my passion in software engineering. It felt crazy to throw everything away and start again from zero. Why would I let my resume and degree go to waste? Why would I use my time to study when I can get paid working? What if it turns out this really isn't my passion?
Fast forward to 2021, I had gone from being a hobbyist to landing my first job as a software engineer at the best company I can imagine. Don't be fooled by this narrative. Every day, when I was making progress daily, the race was long and I couldn't see the finish line until the very last moment.
What helped me most during this hard time was to focus on what you love and what you are good at. I've learned that when you are passionate, you simply can't stop yourself. When you are passionate, you don't need discipline and the energy is readily available when you need it. I thought about code every day and I even dreamed about it on some nights. It was magically all natural!
Pursuing your passion is extremely challenging because you may have to spend many years (failing) to identify it, but on top of that, it takes even more work after to actualize it. To think that you finish a marathon to run another sprint sounds crazy, but it has been the most rewarding outcome in my life. Every day, I am excited to wake up because I am having so much fun pursuing my passion. Even outside of work, talking to non-engineers about what I've been working on and helping them learn about software engineering has been a big joy of my life.
I hope my little story on how I've found my passion encourages you to find yours too! Reach out if you need any help! Make the best of your days!