Tracking the Wins

Mental health is hugely important for software engineers. When I first started coding, the thrill of solving problems and getting that hit of dopamine from the instant feedback loop was incredible. It’s easy to forget those initial challenges and accomplishments as you progress, though, and problems that used to look like unscalable walls turn into speed bumps. That’s why I believe regularly reflecting on your work is so valuable. Otherwise, you might find yourself dwelling on the struggles and forgetting the successes you’ve achieved along the way.

Here’s how I track my progress: Every week or two, I set aside some time to quickly document my achievements, even small ones. I keep it concise to avoid procrastination. I have some anxiety around tasks with too many unknowns, so a simple, mechanical process works best for me. I’m also a very forgetful person, so I usually have to review artifacts created by the work that I do, like following digital breadcrumbs that I leave around. Here’s a list of where I might find these things:

The more concrete evidence, the better, but some achievements don’t leave clear evidence so be sure to capture interesting anecdotes as they happen. Anything that has allowed me to progress forward should be highlighted, even if it is a result of compromise or realizing that you made a mistake.

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